


Meteoric Rise and Fall

by eighth_chiharu



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Drama, F/F, Graphic Depictions of Illness, Illnesses, M/M, References to Illness, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-25
Updated: 2016-04-23
Packaged: 2018-04-06 01:36:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 25,705
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4203006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eighth_chiharu/pseuds/eighth_chiharu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>CONTAGION FIC. Shortly after Dave and Rose arrive on the meteor, Dave falls ill. Normally, that wouldn't be a big deal, but when you're trapped in a bunker with six other people, there's really no way to avoid the germs, and this virus doesn't appear to have a cure...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“Dave is  _what_?”

Karkat was out of his seat in an instant, leaving Sollux to follow slowly behind. It hadn’t been very long since he’d lost his sight, and he was still hesitant to wander around the meteor on his own at any clip faster than a walk. But he could hear everyone’s shuffling footsteps gathering at one end of the room. Not wanting to be left out, he got up and went after them, hands held in front of himself just in case he bumped into someone.

“It’s not a big deal,” Dave said, sounding uncomfortable.

Sollux found someone, touched a bare arm that smelled like Kanaya just in time to hear Karkat make a rude noise. “Well, how’s that for no one is fucking surprised. Your dumb power has you all over those alternate timelines with your unchartable time shenanigans. If anyone was going to pick up a death plague, it’s you. Glad you got to be exposed to all those weird pathogens and fucking mutations of alien bacteria. Even better you got to bring it here. This is so fucking terrific.”

“He’ll be fine. A little rest, and it’ll clear right up.” That was Rose’s voice. “It’s not serious.”

“Not serious? How is an unknown disease not serious? Endangering the entire session, that’s not serious?”

Someone sneezed, and Rose made an exasperated noise. “No, Karkat, it’s not serious. It’s a minor illness. It’s nothing. Humans get them all the time and still live to be 100. He’ll be fine.”

Terezi chimed in, sounding downright gleeful. “I told you we were better than you, Dave! Trolls don’t get sick, and if they do, it’s definitely not more than once! But if you have to be sick, I guess this isn’t that bad. You taste kinda like candy now. Lusus milk candy.”

Dave groaned. “Can we stop please?”

Sollux wasn’t one for grotesques, but now his curiosity was piqued, and he had to admit he really wished he could see what Dave looked like at that moment. Unfortunately, it would be rude to ask for details. Asking someone to explain whether Dave had open sores or if he was growing huge, pus-filled tumors on his ass was pretty sucky. He wouldn’t trade his sight back for the Voices, hell no, but still, when there was a freak accident, you couldn’t help but look. Right then, Dave was the freakiest thing on the meteor - aside from Gamzee.

“It’s probably because of the drop in stress, now that we’re finally here,” Rose said calmly. “The cortisol in your blood messing everything up. When they say stress is a killer, this is what they mean.”

“I thought you said it wasn’t fatal,” Kanaya interrupted. Sollux imagined she probably had her concerned look on.

Rose was dismissive. “Not at all. It was just a saying. Earth medicine. You guys don’t have anything to worry about. Even animals on our planet can’t catch most human illnesses. You’re more than fine. Otherwise you’d probably all be dead from smallpox like the Native Americans back in the 18th century.”

“The what?” Karkat asked, alarmed.

“This is all really fascinating,” Dave said shortly, “but if no-one minds, can I go sit down somewhere?”

Whoa, that was strange. Dave sounded so much  _wetter_  than normal. Like he was speaking from underwater, the way Feferi sounded when she was calling Sollux from her cave. But there wasn’t any water around them. Damn it, why couldn’t he just  _see_ , just this once? He sniffed quietly at the recycled air, but it smelled like it always did: stale.

Kanaya shifted beneath Sollux’s hand. “Of course. Our apologies, Dave. Go rest. If you need anything to assist in your recuperation, let us know. Perhaps the warm slime of a pod would help.”

Dave laughed, but Sollux didn’t think it was in a humorous way. “I’m gonna have more than enough slime, but thanks. I’ll see you guys later.”

There wasn’t much to say after that. Dave and Rose left, and Kanaya patted Sollux’s hand and asked if he needed help returning to his seat. Karkat went back to his computer, strangely quiet and not making loud speeches about this new development. Even Terezi disappeared, snickering to herself. There was no-one left for Sollux to demand information from.

Well, he thought as he sat at the desk, he guessed he wouldn’t want anybody to know about that one week he had horn rot. It was nasty, it cleared up, it was in the past. Dave was probably feeling the same way. He’d respect the guy and let him have his privacy. It wasn’t like they didn’t have plenty of time for Dave to get better. Whatever his deal was, it really wasn’t going to affect them in the least.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairings: DaveKat  
> Characters: Rose, Dave, Karkat

Rose peered at the old-fashioned thermometer, reading the not-so-old-fashioned blue liquid inside before shaking it out. “99.5. You’re actually doing very well, all things considered. Your brother would be proud.”

Dave gave her a bleary look. It had only been 24 hours since the cold had made itself at home in his body, but the germs were already buying each other potted plants and picking out curtains. Rose had been clever enough to cut up Dave’s posh smuppet suit for soft handkerchiefs, but there wasn’t much else she could do. She was an alchemist, yes; a chemist? Not so much. A doctor? Not even close.

“Sure, he’d be so proud that I haven’t decided to lay down and die. Give me a medal. Thought you were gonna whip up some fancy Earth drugs to convince me to go on living,” he said, wiping at his nose. The flannel was nice, but if a person rubbed anything on their face more than three times, it was going to get irritating. Already the constantly damp skin along the edges of his nostrils was pissed off and stinging. He sniffed wetly. “What’s a guy gotta do to get some decent painkillers around here?”

“I’m trying, but I barely remember the basic components, nevermind all the damn additives the pharmaceutical companies dump in there. I wasn’t exactly planning to go into med school. I’m still surprised I managed to get this blue stuff to act like mercury.” Rose frowned, frustrated at her own inability to help. She shoved the thermometer in a pocket and continued hopefully, “I made more tea, if you want some. It’s better this time, I swear.”

Dave shook his head, leaning back against the wall. The bunk he’d fixed up out of some crates and extra blankets had been pushed closer to Rose’s room, to keep them together and out of the way of everyone else. It was convenient, but not particularly exciting. Dave was not only miserable, his head filled with gluey cotton that set off burning tickles in his sinuses, his entire body aching, but he was also bored as fuck. “I don’t think I can take any more tea right now. Maybe in a bit.” He sneezed into the flannel square and tried to sniff back whatever didn’t come out, coughing faintly.

Rose’s expression changed to something vaguely pitying. “Try to get some sleep. It’ll help.”

“I can’t,” Dave grumped. “Whenever I lay down, stuff drips out of my nose all over my face and my throat gets all bitchy cause I have to breathe like a f-fucking fi.. f… f – iTSHEHH! Fuck.” He sniffed. “A fucking fish. Look, just knock me unconscious. Borrow John’s hammer. Tell him to send it over.”

“Yes, I’ll get right on that. Oh!” Rose brightened. “Maybe I can borrow a book from Karkat. You know how he loves his romance novels. Maybe he’s got some stashed around here. It’s not ideal, but at least you don’t have to be bored.”

Dave aimed another sneeze at the wall and pulled a blanket over himself, suddenly chilled. “Yeah, sure. It’s better than counting air ducts. And..” He shrugged, awkward. “Thanks, Rose. I mean, this is like, above and beyond. Seriously.”

“It’s nothing you wouldn’t do for me. I’ll be back soon.” She flashed him a smile and left, dragging his door closed as she went.

Alone, Dave let his thoughts drift while he waited. He knew Rose was right, that it was only a cold, but he couldn’t remember any cold in the past that had made him feel so sick. Bro had kept a normal supply of Advil in the house, so maybe that was why? The soreness in his back and chest really did make this feel like the flu, but his temperature was way too low for that, and his stomach was okay. Maybe being in the Medium had something to do with it, like how taking a plane with a cold fucked you up.

He shivered and sneezed twice over the edge of the bed, not bothering to cover it since no one was around. His nose was running again, but he just sniffed it back. He wasn’t going to blow it until he was forced to. It hurt too much. He was going to have to read his borrowed book lying on his back so his snot didn’t drip onto the pages.

He wondered if Karkat would even lend him a book. Probably get all nutzo about Dave spreading gross germs on his precious babies. But maybe not. Briefly, he indulged in a daydream in which Karkat exclaimed how sorry he was that Dave was ill and bored, and how happy he’d be to lend Dave any book he wanted. Of course Karkat kissed the insides of the book covers when Rose wasn’t looking, his love for Dave clear on his face. Tragic, that’s what it was. Their newly-sprung romance derailed by malicious parasites of nature…

There was a knock, and Dave started unpleasantly awake. His head ached dully, a thudding pressure, and he took off his sunglasses to rub at the bridge of his nose. “Get a good one?” he asked.

Karkat peered around the door, uncertain, eyes a little wider than usual. “I think so. Can I come in? Rose said you might be sleeping.”

“Oh. Uh.” Surprised, Dave pushed himself up from his slumped-over position against the wall. Mucus spilled out of his nose the moment he was upright, and his cheeks flooded with heat. He dragged the soggy handkerchief over his face, embarrassed, the wet fabric painful against his nose. “No, I –” His voice cut off, congestion crowding out his vocal chords, and he had to cough to clear it. “I’m fine. I mean - awake.” Shit.

Karkat edged into the room, a small book in his hand, frank disbelief on his face. “You know what, Strider? I may not be an expert on human anatomy, but bet all that goop you just dealt with isn’t normal. It looked kind of bad from where I’m standing. Actually, it looked really bad.”

Dave sniffed hard, head still cloudy with fever, sinuses overfull. His brief nap hadn’t helped any. He just felt groggy, not rested. And he really needed to blow his nose. “I’m okay. Just - uh…” He stifled a sneeze against his fist just in time, snot squeezing out warm and wet against his hand. He slurped the rest back and wiped at his nose, this time with his sleeve. “It’ll go away,” he finished lamely.

“You better hope so. Okay well. If you’re sure you’re all right.” The troll squared his shoulders, a faint blush powdering his cheeks. “I brought you this. Rose said you didn’t have anything to keep you from going crazy, so. Yeah.” He crossed the small space and held out the book, a decent-sized paperback with two short-haired trolls on it looking shyly into each other’s eyes. “It’s called ‘Two Strangers Meet and Eventually Become Caring Matesprits’. It’s one of my favorites. Great title, right?”

“One of the best I’ve ever heard.” Dave rubbed at his nose and sniffed. “You gonna read it to me?”

Karkat snorted. “What? Are you serious? Why don’t you fucking read it? Rose said you wanted to borrow it, not listen to it. I only brought it myself because I wanted to see you. For myself. See how you were. Uh - ”

Mournfully, Dave said, “Because the human disease I have fucks up your eyes.”

Karkat stopped. His mouth flapped a little. “…Really? That’s why your shades are off?”

“Yeah,” Dave lied, ignoring the sudden tickle in his sinuses in favor of a prank even John would be proud of. “I can’t see that great with ‘em on right now. And they hurt my head.” That part was true, anyhow. He sniffled uselessly, the congestion slowing sealing up his airway until it was totally blocked. God, being sick was tiring. He already wanted to lay back down, but he wanted Karkat to lay with him. He just had to seal the deal, and there could be mad cuddles happening.

“Oh.” Karkat, blushed a little deeper, then shrugged, looking off to the side. “Then - yeah. Whatever. If you need me to. I can’t say no to a dying person.”

“Exactly. Come on.” Dave started to scoot over to make room, but the tickle intensified. Shit no, not now. He hitched in a breath, swallowed hard and pressed the back of his hand against his stupid nose.

Karkat watched, puzzled and uncertain. “Do you want to wait…? Or is this another slime thing that’s supposed to go away?”

Dave shook his head, eyes starting to water. His nose started to drip, and he rubbed at it with the handkerchief, trying to stave off the sneeze that was coming.  The tickle ignored him, turning into a sharp burn.

“Uh, Dave? Are you okay?” Karkat came closer, staring. “Humans need to breathe, right? Should you try to do that?”

“Y-yeah, g-great ide.. ide – hehTSHEH! Huh - ha – HETCHOO!” The sneezes exploded out of him, and he barely turned away in time to avoid hitting Karkat right in the face. Mucus flooded the pathetic remains of the makeshift handkerchief, soaking it through, the spray escaping from the corners. Another sneeze followed, loud and painful, straining the muscles in his chest, tearing at his throat.

Karkat twitched, gasping in panic. “Holy shit, Dave. Holy shit. Do you need Rose? Are you dying? Holy fuck what are you /doing/?”

“N-noth – h'CHEH! HehTCHESHH! Fuck, I’m –” Dave blinked back tears, drew in a shuddering breath and sneezed one more time – and stopped. He remained staring at the far wall dazedly, waiting, the spent flannel beneath his streaming nose. When nothing else happened, he slowly fell back against the wall, wiping at his face with an unsteady hand. His hair was damp with perspiration, his clothes sticky. “Okay,” he said hoarsely, closing his eyes. “Think it… went away.”

“You /think/? Dave.”

“Yeah?”

“… Dave, are you… are you really gonna be okay?”

Dave pushed his eyes open. Karkat was staring at him with a horrible expression, gripping the book as though it were a lifeline, his knuckles white. Dave started to laugh, but it seemed wrong. Karkat looked so … shit, he looked /scared/. Dave’s heart skipped against his ribs. Speaking gently, he said, “It’s cool, KK. Be fine, promise. Looks worse than it is.”

“Yeah okay I seriously doubt that. It looks fucking terrible. And – do you need a towel? You’re all…” Karkat fluttered a hand over Dave’s general area.

“Towel would be great,” Dave agreed. Thanks to the sneezing fit, he could breathe a little through one nostril. It was heaven. “And maybe water.”

“Right. I’ll get it. I’ll be right back.” Karkat dropped the book onto the bed and darted out of the room, coming back so quickly that Dave wondered if there was a water fountain nearby he didn’t know about. There was a fluffy green towel in Karkat’s hand and a glass of water in the other.

Dave took the towel first and cleaned up before taking the glass. His fingers touched Karkat’s briefly, giving him a heated shiver that had nothing to do with his cold. He glanced at Karkat, suddenly aware that without his shades on, Karkat looked brighter. More alive.

Maybe he should leave them off more often.

“Drink it,” Karkat urged, frowning. “Stop staring. Don’t freak me out any more.”

“Sorry.” The water was cold and tasted so good that Dave drained all of it, giving a little cough at the end. Hesitantly, he glanced at Karkat. Jeeze, he really was cute.

“What? Was it bad?”

“No, it’s just…” He couldn’t say it. Not yet. “… could I have another one?”

Karkat nodded so fast Dave thought his head might come loose. “Sure. Stay here.” Moving just as fast the second time around, Karkat made water appear as if by magic. “Take it. Gotta replace all that fluid you lost. Do you need more?”

Dave drank half the glass before handing it back. “No, ’m good.” He looked around, goosebumps coming up on his skin as the perspiration cooled. “Sorry, but my blanket…”

Looking down at the pile of fabric beneath his sneakers, the troll all but hopped back. “Oh, sorry. Shit, I’m so stupid. I didn’t realize – let me get you another one.”

“It’s okay, it doesn’t matter that you stepped on it –”

“No, Dave. You’re sick. I’ll get a clean one. Hold on.”

He disappeared for the third time, and Dave made up his mind. Karkat was going to sit with him and they were going to motherfucking cuddle.

The new blanket was abruptly spread over Dave’s legs, and a clean handkerchief was placed on top. “There.” Karkat was almost out of breath, but worry was clear on his face. “What else? You want some food? I can find something, I know there’s something on this thing humans can –”

“Karkat. Calm down.”

“How can I be calm when you’re dying?! Dave, we haven’t even kissed, we were supposed to be Caring Matesprits, and now you’re – fucking shit I said that out loud. You did not hear that. You’re really hot, Dave, and  - I mean, you’re /too/ hot, you’re – I meant your temperature! You’re having a fever dream. That’s what this is. Rose said you had a fever, and you do look really fucking shitty, so everything you’ve just heard was a total hallucination. A good one. I mean, when you wake up later, you’ll think it was good. You’ll think if there was anyone you’d want to have a shitty sick dream about, it’s me. Except a better dream that isn’t so goddamn lame –”

“Karkat, shut your mouth and get under these blankets with me so we can cuddle while you read that shit book and pretend you’re just taking care of a teammate.” His friend sputtered to a stop, and Dave lifted the blankets. “Come on. But fair warning, I might sneeze on you.”

“You practically already did,” Karkat huffed, trying to regain his normal demeanor. “You sure there’s room in there for both of us?”

“I’m sure.”

“What if I keep you from resting?”

“You won’t.”

“Rose will be pissed.”

“Not hardly. She’ll be grateful for the break.”

“Then… well, then…” Apparently unable to think of anything else to say, Karkat wiggled onto the crate beside Dave, picking the book up as he went. “You’re… you’re sure about this? It won’t bother you?”

Still feverish, still sick, but already feeling a hell of a lot better, Dave snuggled his way beneath Karkat’s arm, resting his head against Karkat’s shoulder. “Nope. You?”

“Not hardly.” Karkat opened the romance novel, giving a theatrical ‘ahem’. “Chapter one – uh, Dave, your nose is leaking again. And I thought your blood was red. Why is that stuff green?”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairings: Rosemary  
> Characters: Rose, Kanaya, Dave and Karkat

Things were not going well. Not at all.

Rose watched her latest concoction with the intensity of an oncologist on the verge of a breakthrough, staring so hard her eyes hurt. The solution bubbled through the hoses she’d rigged up, moving from one beaker to another, the heat changing its color and composition. It was slowly progressing according to her predictions, from green to a lush purple hue with a scent like steamed limes. Anxiously she tracked it as it reached the last beaker, where the final ingredient was added to the mix – and saw it abruptly turned black, emitting a stench incredibly redolent of three-week-old anchovy pizza.

“Ugh!” Letting out a strangled shout of frustration, Rose whacked the table with her fist, upsetting some of the beakers. Old solutions sloshed over the metal surface, but Rose didn’t move to wipe them up. She pressed her hands to her face, massaging her temples and mussing her blonde hair. She felt so stupid. Why was this so hard? It was just medicine, it wasn’t rocket science! And not even super strong medicine at that! She wasn’t aiming for antibiotics, just some gods-forgotten Tylenol!

“Rose? I just spoke with Karkat, and he – ah.” Kanaya came into the room that passed for Rose’s laboratory with her usual quiet poise, her red skirt shifting against her long legs. She took in the table and the spilled liquid, her expression shifting from inquisitive to sympathetic. “Are your projects once again at a standstill?”

“Failed,” Rose said shortly, dropping her hands. “I don’t know why I’m bad at this, but I am. Dave is counting on me, and I’m blowing every single chance I get. I don’t understand any of it!”

“Perhaps you should remove yourself for a short time.,“ Kanaya suggested. “You’re tired. You’ve been working ceaselessly for an entire Earth day.”

It was true, Rose _was_ tired. Her head hurt from thinking so hard, her fingers were sore from writing all the formulae, her shoulders and back ached from bending over her notebooks and chemicals. Kanaya was right, Rose ought to stop, but for some reason in the past 24 hours, helping Dave had become desperately important. She couldn’t quit now, not when she wasn’t anywhere near an answer! What if Dave –

“We could walk together,” Kanaya was saying. “There is a distinct possibility that the suspension of these activities will allow you to return to them with renewed vision. A solution otherwise unseen may present itself.”

Rose rubbed at the dull pain in her forehead, considering. “…I can’t. Thanks, but I can’t. Not while Dave is so sick. Your support is wonderful, but I’m the only one that can help him. I need to be there for him.”

“Is he in danger?” Kanaya frowned. “Has something happened? Karkat didn’t mention –”

“No, no, that’s not it.” Glancing back at the worktable, Rose was suddenly struck by the filthy state of it. How unprofessional. How childish, to leave a mess standing just because she was tired and upset. She grabbed a rag and began wiping the liquid up. “He’s probably going to be fine, most likely absolutely nothing else will happen.“

"Then… you’re worried about what _might_ happen? Rose…” Kanaya reached out to put a hand on Rose’s shoulder, but the girl dodged away, scrubbing harder at the spills.

“It’s not what _might_ – okay, yes, it is, and yeah, that sounds ridiculous, but - but it _could_.” She cleaned even more vigorously, the pain in her head throbbing. “It could happen, he could get worse.”

“Worse? But you said this was merely an inconvenience, and he would be well shortly. And Karkat – ”

“He will! Or - probably! But sometimes things happen! If he can’t shake it by himself, if he needs medicine and there isn’t any, if I can’t figure something out, some kind of decongestant or _something_ – he could get bronchitis. And if he gets _that_ , he could develop pneumonia! I can’t cure pneumonia, Kanaya! No-one here can! He could get it and then - then he’d die!” She threw the rag down, tears springing suddenly to her eyes. Her chest felt tight, her breath uneven. “He could _die_ , Kanaya, he _could_ , and it’ll be all my fault! I’m the only one who can help, and I can’t even make cough syrup!”

She began sobbing in earnest. Her hands couldn’t catch all the tears, but she tried. She was so worried, so ashamed of letting Dave down and then crying like a baby about it. Could she be any more pathetic or useless? What good was a Seer if she couldn’t See what was important?

“Rose, you’re worrying me!“ Kanaya took hold of Rose’s shoulders, and after a heartbeat, she pulled Rose into her arms, hugging her and stroking her hair, her voice soft as if speaking to a child or an injured animal. “I understand. Shoosh, shoosh. My dear Rose. But everything will be fine, you don’t need to be afraid.”

“Y-you can’t kn-know that,” Rose wailed. It felt so strange to be blubbering like this, but she couldn’t seem to help it. The whole world was falling apart - except she hadn’t cried when the world really /did/ fall apart, or explode into firey death, so why now? Over a cold of all things?

“I can know, and if you’ll let me tell you why, you will see for yourself. I have news and a deduction.”

Rose made a wordless, acquiescent noise.

Kanaya continued patiently, still caressing Rose’s fine hair. “I spoke with Karkat before coming here, and Dave is doing much better. Karkat says he’s sleeping easier, and being ‘as annoyingly wriggly as a giant grub in a tiny recreation pen’.”

“R-really?” Rose asked, hiccuping. “He really said that? Dave is okay?”

“Yes, Karkat seemed very pleased with himself about it. Given their relationship, I do believe that having Karkat near has helped Dave’s spirits. That is important to someone’s health, to know they are cared for.“ Kanaya leaned back a little, peering down into Rose’s tear-stained face. “Also… Please don’t be alarmed, and I am sorry if it is inappropriate to mention such a thing…”

Rose’s crying slowed and she sniffled. “Y-yes?”

“…but your body temperature is much higher than usual.”

“Higher? I’m hot?”

“Yes, you’re very warm. That was one of Dave’s symptoms, wasn’t it? You have been in close contact with him, and as you are also human, so therefore –” She paused. “Wait, was that a human joke? Hot as in sexually attractive? I believe you explained that to me once –“

“No. No joke.” She was warmer than normal? If that was true, then…

Rose moved back and reached into her pocket and pulled out the alchemized thermometer. “Bear with me for a sec,” she said, and popped it into her mouth, under her tongue. Kanaya watched in obedient if confused silence until Rose had counted a hundred heartbeats. At last, Rose removed the thermometer and studied it. “Well, at least I know I’m not losing my mind.”

“Does that instrument allow you to judge insanity levels?” Kanaya asked. “If so, I advise you to keep it away from Gamzee. He’ll surely break it.”

Rose laughed wearily. “No. It reads body temperature. You were right, mine is above normal by three degrees.”

"Oh dear.” Kanaya took a breath and rubbed Rose’s upper arm reassuringly. “But that doesn’t sound like much. Is it very bad?”

Rose ran her fingers over the thermometer, feeling distant suddenly. "This reminds me of fifth grade.”

“Fifth what? A measurement?”

“No, not directly. A level in our education system.”

“Oh…”

“When I was in fifth grade, I caught something very serious, but I had to go to school anyway. Well - I didn’t have to, but I was proving a point. Anyway, I went to class, took notes, ate lunch. No-one suspected at all. I thought I did a great acting job. But being in denial isn’t the same as not being sick. When I reached home and saw our front door, and knew that I didn’t have to fake it anymore, my brain took that as permission to shut down. I fainted right on the front lawn, dropped like a sack of bricks. My mother says - said - I almost hit my head on the driveway. I was very lucky she found me.”

“Yes, very lucky. But there is no school now. You don’t need to pretend.”

“No. I guess I don’t.” Rose smiled, feeling dizzy after all the crying. She was so tired. “I’m sorry I freaked out. Humans sometimes do that when they don’t feel well.”

“I understand. Trolls are the same way.” Kanaya reached out again, taking Rose’s hand, squeezing it lightly. “What can I do to help?”

The world shifted at the edges of her vision, and Rose heard herself, distantly, say, “Maybe… catch me?”

“Catch you? – oh! Rose!”

Grey rushed in as she fell, black tumbling in on top of it, and Rose, who had been as strong as she could for the last 48 hours, passed the fuck out.

* * * * *

“Surely it would be harmful to let her sleep any longer.”

“I dunno, when you’re sick, that’s mostly what you do. Ask Karkat. He was more a pillow than a conversation partner.”

Rose stirred, vaguely aware that people were talking over her. She was asleep, and she didn’t want to wake up. Something told her she wouldn’t like it if she did.

“Thanks, Dave, that’s really flattering. I’m glad my talking puts you right to sleep. I’m better than a fucking soporific, a troll-sized stuffed bed girl.”

“That’s right, KK. Your Florence Nightingale bedside manner sends me right to restful dreamland. No sweeter visions of male perfection than your hot gray body snuggled like a daimakura all cozy next to mine.”

But sometimes, a person had to do things they didn’t want to, for the sake of all concerned.

“Dave,” Rose said hoarsely, “shut up.”

“Rose! You’re awake!” Rose opened her eyes reluctantly to see Kanaya hovering beside the bed, a crate-and-blanket combo very similar to Dave’s. “How do you feel?”

“Like shit,” Dave said helpfully.

Rose glowered at him as best she could, but couldn’t hold it for long. She felt like someone had beat her like a pinata and stuffed her head full of melted candy, jamming most of it in on one side. Her throat was swollen, so much so that it hurt to talk. “That pretty much describes it.”

“Kinda freaked us the hell out when Kanaya told us you keeled over.” Dave stood next to Kanaya, his hand on Rose’s blanket-covered leg. To Rose’s critical gaze, he still looked terrible, all pink-nosed and chapped lips, but the fact that he was here, upright and talking to her, said otherwise.

“Did it just to take away your limelight,” she murmured. She slid a hand out of the blankets and rubbed one eye, then the side of her nose, trying to ease the pressure there. “You’re better, right?”

“Yeah.” He found her toes through the covers and tugged on them. “Totally okay. Way less snotty, lot more action. Got some yard time lined up later. Gonna go out and circle the fence a couple times, let everyone know I’m back and ready to rumble.” She nodded once, but he wasn’t through. “Maybe KK and I can get in a couple scraps just to rough up the competition. Nobody sells porn mags to my bros on the inside but me.”

“Dave…”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t take this the wrong way. I’m glad you’re better, but get out.”

Dave grinned and pulled at her toes one more time. “A'ight, KK, you heard the lady. Let’s go take a nap. You call me if you need anything, Rose.”

Karkat scowled as Dave took his arm to tug him out of the room. “We just got done having a nap. You were out for two hours.”

“It’s a euphemism, man. Work with me here.”

Kanaya eased the door of Rose’s compartment closed behind the two boys. “They seem to be getting along well.”

“Mmhm. Good. Dave needs that.”

Turning, Kanaya returned to Rose’s side, her faint smile fading quickly. Her eyes flicked from Rose’s head to her feet, then back again. “Rose… please tell me what to do to help you. I’m not used to worrying about you in this way. You…”

“I know. I look bad.” She wasn’t surprised. She _felt_ bad. A lot bad. Uncomfortable and clumsy, her limbs oddly fat and unresponsive, the skin tight. But when she looked at her hand, it seemed normal. It was just her face, then. She knew what she looked like sick, and even if she hadn’t, she’d seen her mother sick too many times to count. They both became too pale, with dark circles beneath their eyes, the only color two spots of feverish red on their cheeks. She swallowed reflexively, trying to stop the pain and heat in her throat, but it only made the tender flesh there ache more sharply. “I still have some tea –”

“Yes. I brought it. I was waiting for you to wake.” Quickly Kanaya retrieved a cup from somewhere out of Rose’s line of sight. “Do you need help?”

“Not yet.” Rose took it, suddenly thirsty. Kanaya cautioned her to go slowly, but Rose sat up and chugged the whole cup. It could’ve been the elixir of the gods requiring the abdication of her soul and she wouldn’t have cared. She finished all of it and handed the cup back, tired and out of breath just from that simple action. Sweat broke out along her forehead and the middle of her back, and she pushed at the blankets, suddenly baking.

“Please, allow me.“ With sure, gentle movements, Kanaya slid hands down near Rose’s hips and tugged her pink Derse outfit up and over her head. Rose protested weakly, but once the cool air of the meteor rushed over her, she sagged in relief. Kanaya tossed the offending item on the end of the bed.

"Shoulda just asked if you wanted to get naked,” Rose mumbled. A moment later a damp cloth was soothing Rose’s skin, wiping away the greasy-feeling sweat. She shut her eyes with a sigh as Kanaya ran the delicious cloth over her back and arms and neck, cooling her off and bathing her at the same time – but just as Kanaya finished, Rose started shivering. Suddenly she was just as cold as she had been hot, her teeth chattering, her whole body sore and tense.

Unfazed, Kanaya pulled the covers back up. “Lie down, Rose. Your tea will take effect soon, just as it did for Dave, but you need to rest.”

Rose shuddered. “Y-you’re g-good at this.”

“I don’t like to see my friends in pain. I have helped others before. Now please lie down.”

“I – ahh –” A particularly violent frisson rushed up her body, from her hips to her head, and she sneezed. “Et-CHII! Ow. W-wondered when that w-was going to s-show up.”

“Did you think it wouldn’t?” Kanaya pushed at Rose’s bare shoulders, pressing her down toward the nest of thick blankets and pillows.

It was so cold! Rose huddled into the covers, feeling even worse now that her nose was starting to drip. “Wasn’t s-sure,” she said, sniffling. She pressed the corner of the blanket to her face, stifling another sneeze, the congestion in her head shifting lower.

“Then it’s good I was prepared.” Affecting coolness, though Rose could tell even through her sick exhaustion that Kanaya was blushing, her friend held out a pretty black-and-purple cloth with lace edges, a small octopus embroidered into one soft-as-down corner. “I made more. I wasn’t sure if you’d ever need them, but I thought if you did – oh, that sounds terrible. I had no wish for you to fall ill, Rose, none at all, I merely wanted to help.”

Rose took it, reveling in the relaxing potion that was now dulling her headache, allowing her to study the handkerchief. The tiny stitches were perfect, and even the lace was soft and not scratchy. It was so finely made that it seemed a shame to use it for its intended purpose. She sniffed again and cleared her throat. “It’s so nice. I can’t bring myself to dirty it.”

Blushing harder, Kanaya twisted her fingers together. “No, you must! I made it with washable fabrics, it is very sturdy.”

It was so unlike her, and so adorable, that Rose couldn’t refuse her any longer. She gave the other girl as nice a smile as she could muster through the encroaching drowsiness that came with starting to warm up. “It’s beautiful. Thank you.”

Kanaya beamed. “It was a pleasure to make them. When you need a new one, I will fetch it.”

“Hopefully not – ooh…” Rose stopped, forgetting all about her reluctance to use the embroidered cloth as her nose tickled sharply. She tried to rub the offending feeling away, but the congestion in her sinuses turned more liquid, spilling out of her in a warm gush. She sniffed and rubbed again, both with sloppy, useless results. The tickle intensified, the oncoming sneeze elusive. Rose grunted, exasperated. “Oh, come on – would – mmh – j-just –”

Perceiving the problem, Kanaya leaned close and blew lightly against Rose’s ear.

A cold shiver rushed over Rose, the sneeze bursting free in a wet explosion, barely contained by the fancy cloth. “Eh-CHIIISHHH! Snf – eh – heh – hehCHMF!” Rose caught the following one easily. She sniffled, sneezed one more tiny sneeze – “hi-tsh!” – and blew her nose thoroughly. “Ngh… Guess it fulfilled its destiny,” she said as she lay back, indicating the poor, soggy handkerchief.

“Few can say that of themselves,” Kanaya answered approvingly. “Now lay back. I have taken Karkat’s example and brought something to read to you, so that you may rest without melancholy emotions.”

“Oh?” Rose raised a tired eyebrow, but she was glad Kanaya had thought so far ahead. At least Rose didn’t have to feel guilty for being sick. Kanaya was ready. Rose wasn’t a problem this time, not like she’d been at home. “I’m going to owe you for being so sweet. Maybe I should take you out…”

“Out? Poor dear Rose, your fever is confusing you. There is no outside. We would die in space.” Settling into a chair beside Rose’s bed, Kanaya patted Rose’s arm comfortingly. “But let’s not think of that. We’re quite safe on this meteor. And I have the reading material. Are you ready?”

“Please not a troll romcom,” Rose said, eyeing the printed pages in Kanaya’s hands. “I’m suffering enough as it is.”

“Nothing so banal.” Kanaya’s eyes twinkled. “This is a brilliant document of my own fabrication: The Love Story and Consummation of Arousal of The Dolorosa and Mindfang, as written by Kanaya Maryam at 4 sweeps old.”

Rose blinked. “Oh my God. Fanfiction from when you were /eight/?” She laughed, coughed, and toned it down to a hoarse giggle. “This I have to hear. But – “ The tea was definitely working. She was as shameless as Dave now. “ – you should hold my hand while you read. Just in case.”

“Ah, yes. Of course. Just in case.” Smiling slightly, Kanaya reached over to take Rose’s free hand. It was a little damp and still a bit too warm, but Rose squeezed and Kanaya squeezed back, confident Rose would be fine. “So, to begin: The Dolorosa was a beautiful, big troll, with lovely sparkly dresses and horns as enchanting as even the Condescension’s. They were so beautiful in fact, that attractive and also beautiful Mindfang the Pirate made plans to kidnap the Dolorosa and make her her Matesprit…”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairings: Mentions of DaveKat  
> Characters: Dave, Karkat, Sollux, Terezi and Kanaya

“KK.”

Someone was shaking him.

“Karkat. Wake up. Prove you’re still alive, bro.”

Dave. Dave was shaking him.

“Huh?” Karkat opened his eyes, groggy and confused and faintly alarmed. He struggled to take stock of the situation, knuckling sleep from one eye. “Wha? Y’okay?”

Dave was sitting up in the lame pallet they shared, his eyes a little too big for someone who thought they were hot shit. He still sounded pretty crappy, all clogged up, but at least he wasn’t feverish or sneezing that much anymore. They’d moved past that to constant sniffles, irritated nose-skin and annoying-as-fuck coughing. Dave was lucky he was cute, even if it was in that mentally deficient baby purrbeast kind of way.

Coming a little more awake, Karkat scrubbed his face, wiping absently at something tickling his cheek. He had a headache. Sleeping without sopor slime was too heavy and dry. He needed to get back to his recuperacoon soon. Three respite periods without it was fucking him up. “Need water?”

“No. I got some. It’s you, dude.”

Karkat stared, patience cracking. “Dave, if your temperature is up again, I’m going to drop you in a large compartment of ice and leave you there with a clever parting line of ‘Chill out, human’. You should be better by now. If we were back home, you’d be culled and I’d never see you again, and that’s starting to sound like a pretty good scenario.”

That got him a response that was a definite step up from open-mouthed gaping. “You’re a dick. I’m trying to tell you that you look like the star of a Hammer movie. Like you stood too close to Gallagher only he was busting up chickens instead of fat watermelons. You’d give kids nightmares.” Dave held out one of his clean backup handkerchiefs. “Here. I hate it when I get nosebleeds at night. Makes a fuckin’ mess, stains everything.”

Pushing himself up, Karkat looked blankly at the cloth. “Nosebleed? You look fine.”

“Not me, dumbass, you. You’ve got blood all over your face.”

“Huh? Are you hallucinating? Seriously, where’s Rose’s body temperature stick –”

“To quote John, holy cheezeburgers, Catman. You’re helpless.” Exasperated, Dave swiped at Karkat’s jaw and shoved the handkerchief at him. “See?”

Karkat’s gaze went to the red staining the cloth, almost blending in against it, showing only because it was brighter than the plush suit scrap. “That’s not blood,” he said shortly. He took the handkerchief and wiped the rest of his lower face. “It’s drool.”

Dave wrinkled his nose, snorting laughter – or trying to. He had to sniff back what came out along with the derision. “You’re a drooler? I feel like this is something you should have disclosed earlier. Secrets like that tear a family apart.”

“Got a secret for you, Strider,” Karkat said crabbily. “You drool a /lot/. And you do whatever it’s called when you leak all that shit inside you all over me. Feels like sleeping with a sea-dweller or in a splashing pond for overheated grubs.”

Dave colored slightly, his normal Cool Kid ratio apparently harder to maintain than normal. “Yeah, well, me being sick isn’t a secret. And anyway, how do you know what’s drool and what’s blood if it’s all the same color? I thought someone had snuck in here and slashed your throat.”

“I think I would know what’s blood and what’s drool after a lifetime of learning to tell the difference. Just because you humans have all your excretions oddly color-coordinated doesn’t mean it’s the only way to do things. What’s that all about, anyhow? Filing purposes?”

“Okay, all right, chill out.” Dave shifted, coughing. “Sorry I woke you up. Next time you’re drowning, I’ll leave you alone. Let’s just go back to sleep.”

That did it. Whether it was because Dave had been sick for an absurdly long time – three /days/ already, for crying out loud – or because Karkat had a headache, he was abruptly and totally done. He liked Dave a lot, but a troll could only take so much before he had to have some time to himself.

“I can’t, Dave. I’m the leader.” Karkat swung his legs off the bed and dropped to the floor, his joints in his legs popping. Jegus, he sounded like he was made of breakfast crunchies. This human nest thing was bullshit. “I’ve been blowing everyone off, but I have shit to do. I’m gonna go check on stuff around here, make sure we’re still on course and a certain idiot moirail hasn’t screwed things up.”

Dave didn’t answer for a whole half a second, but it was long enough for Karkat to get the feeling that the boy was withdrawing, pulling himself back in some odd way like the ocean at low tide. It was disconcerting. He flopped back onto the blanket pile, pulling one of them over himself. “Sure. Makes sense. Hey, thanks for keeping me company. Appreciate it.”

Karkat scowled, irritated. “Don’t get all mushy about it, Strider. You’re doing better, you’ll be okay on your own for a whole hour. I’ll see you later.”

Dave rolled over to face the wall, tossing up a short wave.

Now that was just infuriating. Vaguely, Karkat knew he was being as dumb as Dave, but he wasn’t in the mood to figure it out. He left, shutting the door a little more firmly than was really necessary, and marched down the hallway toward the bridge. As he passed Rose’s room, he heard faint sounds through the thick metal door, muffled crying and Kanaya murmuring. Embarrassed as though he’d been caught listening on purpose, Karkat hurried his steps, forcing stiff muscles into quicker life.

*~*~*~*~*~*

The control room was ages away, farther than Karkat remembered. He was even more stiff when he got there, which was crazy. Shouldn’t a walk have loosened him up? His stomach hurt from having a tiff with Dave, too. Moody, he was glad the place was empty except for Sollux, who was sitting at his desk typing something long. Ear speakers ran from the desk to the troll, keeping up a steady stream of muted, monotone chatter.

“What’s that for?” Karkat asked, going over to do his duty as leader. Inspection. Important. Yep.

Sollux smiled, not bothering to lift his empty eyes from the husktop. “Just screwing around. Not a lot to do when we’re on course. But it’s fun.”

Code was flying by on the screen, so fast that Karkat couldn’t keep up. “And that thing tells you what you’re typing?”

“Yeah, pretty much. It’s got a delay, obviously, but once you get used to it, it’s pretty cool.”

“Huh. Yeah, cool.” Karkat still wasn’t used to this new, relaxed Sollux, but he was glad the guy wasn’t so freaked out all the time. It was tempting to hug Sollux, to take a damn minute and tell his friend that he was being the best fucking sport that ever existed after all the shit that had gone down, and oh hey that eye thing? You’re dealing with that like a champ, thanks – but Karkat couldn’t. Instead, feeling insufficient, he repeated “cool” and went to sit at his own desk.

Several messages were waiting, mostly from John. His logo flashed cheerfully beside the chatbox. Karkat debated ignoring it, but John was a nosy, persistent bastard. If Karkat waited too long to answer, John might start filling up his pesterlog with stupid idiotic jokes. Ignoring the stiffness in his joints and his back, Karkat rubbed distractedly at his stomach and brought up John’s window.

KK: ALL RIGHT ALREADY EGBERT. LAY OFF. I CAN’T ANSWER YOUR ASININE RAMBLINGS EVERY SECOND OF EVERY DAY. I HAVE IMPORTANT THINGS TO DO THAT TAKE PRECEDENCE OVER YOUR WHINING.

EB: hello to you too karkat! we thought you were missing!

KK: I’M NEVER MISSING. I’M DOING MY JOB, WHICH IS MORE THAN I CAN SAY FOR YOU LOSERS. ARE YOU EVEN READY FOR YOUR JOURNEY? WE’RE SUPPOSED TO MEET UP SOON, IN CASE YOUR SOFT HUMAN BRAIN FORGOT.

EB: i remembered! we’re getting ready now.

EB: hey is dave with you? he won’t answer me either and i have a great prank to play on him!

KK: I WOULDN’T DO THAT IF I WERE YOU. HE’S IN A SHIT MOOD RIGHT NOW, PROBABLY BECAUSE HE’S UP TO HIS EARS IN DISGUSTING HUMAN SLIME.

EB: ummmm okay i’m not really sure how i’m supposed to take that. you don’t mean troll slime?

KK: IF I MEANT TROLL SLIME, I WOULD SAY TROLL SLIME.

EB: but humans don’t make slime! well, i guess they sort of do, but only on special occasions.

KK: YOUR LACK OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT YOUR OWN HUMAN ANATOMY SOMEHOW DOESN’T SURPRISE ME AT ALL. DAVE IS CURRENTLY MAKING PLENTY OF SLIME, AND THE OCCASION IS ABOUT AS MEMORABLE AS A TRIP TO THE LOAD GAPER.

KK: ACTUALLY, I’M PRETTY SURE DAVE WISHES HE COULD STOP MAKING SLIME AS SOON AS FUCKING POSSIBLE, SINCE IT’S APPARENTLY AS UNCOMFORTABLE AS TAKING A HORN UP THE EXIT CHUTE.

EB: … okaaay you lost me. if he’s making it but not enjoying it, i’m pretty sure that’s your fault.

KK: SUCK MY HUMONGOUS BONE BULGE, EGBERT. I HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS.

EB: really? i thought you and dave were kind of into each other.

KK: HE’S SICK, YOU INCREDIBLY CRETINOUS MORON. DAVE IS SICK, AND ROSE IS SICK, AND THEY’RE BOTH SLIMY AND SNEEZING AND SPREADING ALL THAT GELATINOUS GOOP EVERYWHERE LIKE EMERGENCY FIRE DOUSERS. IT’S REPULSIVE.

EB: they’re both sick? wow, i didn’t even know that was a thing here! i thought germs were, i don’t know, deleted or something when we entered the medium!

KK: WELL IT’S A THING AND IT’S NASTY. KANAYA AND I ARE HELPING THEM, BUT IT’S DAMN EXHAUSTING. I HAVE A HEADACHE JUST FROM TRYING TO GET HIM TO SLEEP LIKE A NORMAL PERSON.

EB: it sounds like it’s just a cold. don’t be such a baby. :/

KK: WHEN YOU’RE COVERED IN SHIT SPEWED STRAIGHT FROM SOME PLAGUE BEARER’S MOUTH, THEN YOU CAN HAVE AN OPINION. UNTIL THEN, KEEP YOUR SUPERFLUOUS AND FRANKLY UNWANTED COMMENTS TO YOURSELF.

EB: oh and if you’re with them all the time, you should wear a mask or something. make sure you don’t catch it!

KK: ROSE HAS ASSURED US THAT IT IS VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR ANY OF YOUR LAME ASS HUMAN GERMS TO INFECT OUR OBVIOUSLY SUPERIOR BODIES.

EB: okay, that’s good. usually once someone in the house catches a cold, everyone catches it!

KK: THERE IS NO HIVEBLOCK HERE AND ONLY TWO HUMANS. I’M NOT WORRIED.

KK: ARE WE DONE? I HAVE IMPORTANT THINGS TO CHECK ON.

EB: more irons in the fire? i guess i’ll let you get to those, then. i’ll pester you when we’re ready to head out!

KK: YOU DO THAT.

Karkat ceased pestering John and sat back in his chair, one arm going back around his middle. He hadn’t even eaten yet today, how could his stomach hurt? But it did. Bluh, tt was seriously time for the recuperacoon.

Trying to distract himself, he glanced over at his friend. “Sollux, have you even slept yet? You were here when I left.”

Sollux shrugged. “I was bored. And I’m half dead, not like there’s much more that can happen to me if I don’t sleep.”

“Good point.“ Karkat wasn’t sure that was the best outlook, sad as it was, but it was a true one, and thumbs up to Sollux for facing the truth head-on. Still, health had to be at least a little important, didn’t it? He struggled with saying something about Sollux being one of the few of them left who wasn’t all the way dead nor insane, and how Karkat would miss him if anything happened, but before he could figure something eloquent out, he sneezed.

He didn’t think anything of it. It was only a bit after waking, and that sort of reaction happened to a lot of people when they first began the day. He sniffed once, still mulling over Sollux. Maybe they could hang out later, like they used to. They’d all been so busy, but once they were underway to meet up with the others, there would be time to catch up. Rekindle. That sort of thing.

He sneezed again, off to the side like last time, sniffed the same way. His stomach ached more strongly, almost a hard ball of hurt on the right side of his torso. Okay, yeah, time to make an exit and take care of health stuff. He locked his husktop, holding his middle and glad Sollux couldn’t see any of this bullshit. “If anyone asks for me, I’ll be in my – eh-TSHH! What the everloving f – hehTCHSH!”

The sneezes surged over him, ran him down like a stampeding herd of hoofbeasts, fast and pitiless and in a big fucking hurry. The fit bent him over in his chair, sneezing at the floor, sniffling after each one, barely able to take a breath before the next one shot out.

“Eh-TSSHH! Snf – eh-TISHHUH! – snf – heh-TCHSH! eh-TCHSHH! eh-TCHOO! snf – eh-TCHSSHOO!”

Sollux stopped typing, turning blind eyes in Karkat’s direction. “Fuck, Karkat, what the hell? Do I need to call someone?”

As if by magic, the herd was gone and sneezes stopped. Karkat sat there, scared to move, his nose full and dripping, tears slipping over his cheeks. Hesitantly, he wiped his face on his sleeve, snuffling. “Uh… no. Sorry. Must be allergies.” It had to be.

“You don’t have any allergies,” Sollux said, sounding worried.

“Then fuck if I know. Maybe it was dusty.” Karkat sniffled again experimentally. No… no more sneezy urges. His nose wasn’t even really clogged, just runny. His stomach still hurt, but he didn’t feel like Dave looked, or how Rose sounded. He was kind of tired from sleeping in a weird place, but mostly okay. There was still the drooling from this morning, though. Karkat never drooled. Ever. He'd assumed that'd been what it was, but what if it was this shit leaking out of his nose and he just hadn't noticed?

He had to get to his recuparacoon, and now.

He stood, “Whatever. I’m gonna go finish my rounds. I’ll be back in a while.”

Sollux kept staring at him with those unseeing eyes and that doubtful expression, but all he said was, “Okay.”

“Well, if it isn’t our famous leader!” Karkat jumped as Terezi strolled into the room with her usual grin, everything about her declaring she was ready to gloat and looking forward to it. “Actually bothering to do your job for once?”

“Don’t,” Sollux started to say, but Karkat didn’t let him finish.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Terezi, I was busy making sure some integral players didn’t die on us, namely Dave and Rose. How rude of me. Instead of that, I obviously should’ve been here with you, licking floors and being generally useless. What the hell was I thinking?”

Sollux tried again. “Karkat - ”

“You obviously weren’t thinking at all!” Terezi answered. “At least not with your brain. I know that you and Dave have been awfully cozy lately! Did you make him well with your sweet nursemaid act, hovering like an overprotective lusus? Or did you just resort to cruder measures to distract him, if you get my meaning!”

“Terezi, that’s –”

“Shut it, Sollux. You’re being a total bitch right now, you Redglare wannabe. It’s not as though you do anything we can be proud of. What’re you spending all your time on anyway, now that Dave’s incapacitated and bored out of his mind? I didn’t see you trying to help him out, which is pretty odd considering you were trolling all over him before he got here! Have a change of heart?”

Sollux sat back and faced his computer again.

“I was trolling him because you told us to troll them, and look how that turned out! We almost didn’t make friends! It’s a good thing Dave is so calm, because he’s the only one besides John who can put up with you!”

“That’s – ehTSHH! That’s so – hehh…ha-TISHHUH!” Karkat sniffed, a gurgling, indignant sound. “Oh, fuck, seriously? Now? Eh-TCHOO!”

Terezi stared, mouth slightly open, tongue flicking out. “Karkat, if this is a distraction, it won’t work! But wow you smell weird.”

“P-polish my f-fat – fa –haETCHEH!”

“Okay, this is fucked up.” Sollux stood, jaw tight. “Terezi, go get Kanaya. Something’s wrong with Karkat.”

Karkat wanted to argue, but he couldn’t. Hell, he couldn’t put three words together. He was sneezing again, rapid and hard, soaking his sleeve, his stomach aching fiercely with the effort. It was like some lame remix of Dave’s, the same few words repeating over and over until Karkat was about to pass out from lack of oxygen. “Eh-TCHSS! Heh-TCHSH! Eh-CHOO! Heh-TSSHH! Eh – h-heh – oh, shit –”

His stomach twisted, the pain sharp as though someone had run him through with the biggest fucking sword ever. He gasped a whistling breath in, hiccuped and threw up over his arm. There was nothing but bile, he hadn’t eaten, but it was humiliating all the same.

Terezi made a sound that crueller people would’ve termed a laugh. “Karkat, what even!”

“Terezi!” Sollux’s voice was a whipcrack. “Stop being stupid and go get Kanaya! This isn’t funny!” Terezi made a face, but she ran off. Sollux took a couple of steps toward Karkat, reaching out. “Karkat, are you okay? Do you need help?”

Breathing hard, swallowing the sickening taste back over and over, Karkat coughed before answering. “I’m okay. I’m okay, stay over there.” Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck – “Just stay over there.”

He didn’t move. He should move, but if he moved, he might contaminate the rest of the meteor. What was he supposed to do? A tiny thread of panic wormed its way into his abdomen, a cold sliver of fear alongside the burning pain in his stomach. What the giant fuck was going on?

“Kanaya’s coming,” Sollux said anxiously. “She’ll be here soon. Are you still there? Karkat –”

“Fine. I’m fine.” He wasn’t. His head hurt worse and his nose was still running. He wiped at it with his clean sleeve, the stench of vomit starting to permeate the room. He took shallow breaths in through his mouth, wanting to sit but not wanting to be any closer to the puddle of throw up than he had to be. “It’s probably just stomach worms. If Earth diseases made it into the game, there’s got to be Alternian ones, too. We’re just lucky we didn’t get sick earlier. Don’t get too close, you might get ‘em.”

Sollux pulled at his tshirt. “Stomach worms don’t make you sneeze. I’m blind, not stupid. Dave was sneezing earlier. What if –”

“Karkat!” Kanaya ran into the room, followed closely by Terezi. She didn’t hesitate, going straight to Karkat. Her hands went out to touch him, but fluttered around as she looked for a clean spot. Karkat colored darkly, well aware that he was a shocking mess.

“I’m fine.” Quickly, he tried to shoot Kanaya a meaningful look, eyes darting toward Terezi and Sollux, both of whom couldn’t see Karkat’s expression. A very meaningful look. A PLEASE DON’T SAY ANYTHING OUT LOUD look.

Luckily for Karkat, Kanaya was fast on the uptake. She glanced at them and nodded once. “Let’s get you to your room. I’ll help you clean up and get you something for - ah -”

“Stomach worms,” Karkat supplied, sniffling, one arm back around his middle, holding his sore stomach.

“Stomach worms,” Kanaya repeated. Her eyes held doubt, but her voice was almost pleasant. “I’m sure I have some of that. I always pack for emergencies.” She settled a hand on his back and he let her, grateful for the show of support. He was really getting tired of standing. “Let’s go before I puke up something less wriggly.”

“I’ll pester you later,” Sollux said as they passed by. “Hope it clears up soon.”

“Yeah, get well, Karkat.” Terezi inched closer to the puddle on the floor, her tongue flicking in and out a little faster. “Take your time.”

“So gross,” Karkat muttered, sniffling again. “Just clean it up like a fucking sane individual, would you?”

“Will do,” Terezi sing-songed.

Karkat groaned to himself, forcing his legs into a rusty speedwalk. He wanted to get out of here. He wanted to sink into his cocoon and feel better. And mostly, he wanted to find out how this had even happened. “Kanaya, how’s Ro – ro …eh-CHOO!” It was only four this time instead of a million, and he smothered them in his sleeve as they walked, refusing to let some stupid germs slow him down.

Kanaya watched, alarmed. “You sound like Rose and Dave. Karkat, did you catch what they have? How is that possible?”

God, his shirt was getting positively crusty. It was sickening. “I don’t know. I don’t want anyone else to get it.” A terrible truth became apparent, and he stumbled. “Kanaya – you’ve been with Rose. What if you get sick?”

Her lips thinned as she thought it over. She shook her head once, firmly. “Even if I do, I’ll be fine. You’ll be fine, too. Dave is better, and Rose will be soon. It’s a trying disease, to be sure, but not lethal.” She looked him over. “You have several symptoms, but neither Rose nor Dave were nauseated. Do you suppose there actually are stomach worms?”

Karkat shrugged, sniffling. “I have no idea. I feel like total shit, and it’s getting worse, but it didn’t feel this bad when I woke up. Whatever the fuck this is, it’s moving /fast/.” He sneezed again, five this time, and coughed at whatever thick stuff was lingering in his throat. His arm tightened his hold around his middle, the pain there dull and constant. He was not going throw up again in the hallway, he just wasn’t. “Fuck, my stomach. This is ridiculous.”

It seemed to take forever to reach his room, though it was probably just five minutes. Kanaya fidgeted as Karkat opened his door. “I don’t want to leave you alone. Maybe you should come back with me, move closer to Rose.”

“That’s crazy. I’ll be okay. It’ll suck hoofbeast bulge and I’ll kill Dave later, prompting you all to either arrest me for murder or declare a holiday in my honor, but I’ll be okay.” He knew it sounded like a load of crap, that he looked like a load of crap, but it was all he could offer her. “Go see if you can get Rose to make more tea.”

At that, Kanaya looked away, and Karkat said uneasily, “What? No more ingredients?”

“Rose is… not well enough yet,” Kanaya said. Her hands twisted around one another, fingers twining and untwining slowly. “Her fever will not abate. I’m having trouble getting her to sleep. And… to eat.”

Karkat stared for a moment, the implications of that sinking in past the ache in his temples. “Oh. Well – that’s okay. It’s only been a couple days for her. Dave only just stopped having a fever at all.” He reached out with the cleanest hand he had, meaning to grip Kanaya’s, but didn’t quite touch her. His hand stayed there for a second before he brought it back to his side. “Anyway. She’ll be okay, you’ll see. She’s fucking tough. Dave’s a big wimp, you saw how he looked. If Dave can beat it, Rose sure as fuck can. Just gotta wait til tomorrow.”

“Yes.” Kanaya nodded, and they both ignored the glistening shimmer of iridescent green tears unshed at the corners of her eyes. “You’re right. I’m being absurd.”

“And don’t forget to rest. You can’t get sick, whatever you do. Rose is counting on you.”

Kanaya’s lips twitched, but it was with humor this time. “I’ll do my best. I admit I have no desire to join you and be termed ‘a wimp’. I’ll tell Dave where you are, if you want.”

Karkat hesitated in the doorway. “… yeah, okay. Guess I’d like to yell at him to his face. Go ahead.”

“All right. Karkat… be careful. I’ll come check on you when I can.”

It was his turn to nod. She smiled sadly before heading back down the hallway, presumably to get back to nursing Rose. Karkat watched her go, suddenly feeling horribly alone – and with nothing else to concentrate on, the aches and nausea seemed to double. 

Fighting it, he went into his room, shut the door and climbed into his recuparacoon, not even bothering to undress. The right kind of slime – the good kind, the kind from his culture, his home, his youth – enveloped him as he slid all the way in. With a low, congested sigh of immeasurable relief, he shut his eyes and gave himself over to the silent, soporific effects.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairings: Rosemary, DaveKat  
> Characters: Dave, Rose, Kanaya

After twelve hours, Dave had to admit that the sulking thing wasn't working. It hadn't ever worked with Bro, so he wasn't sure why he'd thought it might get him some attention from Karkat, but so far it was a complete failure. Karkat hadn't come back, and Dave had been left alone with a book he'd already read twice and a head too congested to process any raps higher than an A-B-A-B rhyme scheme. Being sick and cranky made the time pass so slowly that Dave was tempted to use his time powers just to get to the end of this bullshit, but he was pretty sure that any visit to a healthier version of himself would just get him laughed at.

He slid off his bed, sniffling as he combed fingers through his hair, trying to make himself look better than he felt. It was dumb, but something about the way Karkat had left was still bothering him. The easy answer was the more obvious one: Dave was a clingy piece of shit and normal people needed time to themselves, and now Dave felt stupid about it. The more confusing answer was that something was wrong, a deeper wrong than mere annoyance. The whole conversation, the rushing, the red everywhere… He needed to talk to someone about it.

Rose was his first choice. He could only assume that she was really sick, or else she would have come by and they would’ve have been the dumbest feelings jam ever about Dave’s relationship insecurities. But he hadn’t seen her since the day before yesterday, and now that Karkat wasn’t distracting him, he realized how selfish it was that he’d ignored her. For all the nasty crap he was coughing up, his entire respiratory system slicked in gross shit that was trying to kill him, Dave was better off than she was. It was time to stop being a whiny selfish punk and go help out.

And maybe get the formula for that tea.

Chiding himself for having an ulterior motive, Dave left his room and went down the long hall to Rose's. It was quiet, like always, only the white noise of the meteor's whirring machinery running in the background. Briefly, he wondered where the other trolls had gone to, but his thoughts about finding them were interrupted by a sneeze from behind Rose's mostly-closed door. Gathering himself, Dave knocked. Nothing wrong with being polite.

The answer was barely audible. "It's open."

Cautiously he pushed the door wider, peeking inside. Rose was laying in her makeshift bed, propped up by a pile of purple and black pillows. In her Derse outfit, with her white-blonde hair and dark eyelashes, she looked like a Bride of Dracula. It was only the books scattered about, and pretty handkerchiefs much nicer than Dave's functional squares, that made her seem human -- but the troll slumped over on a stool beside Rose's bed, her dark head resting on crossed arms beside Rose's hip, gave the scene a vampiric tint all over again.

Dave cocked an eyebrow. "Got hungry?"

Rose covered another sneeze, sniffed and made a what-can-you-do face. "She's asleep," she half whispered. "I told her to go back to her room, but she refused."

"Don't blame her," Dave said, adopting the same quiet tone. The congestion gave odd textures to their speech, a rasp like someone rubbing fingers over rough sandpaper. Rose was missing half her consonants, she was so stuffed up. Dave fought the urge to clear his throat.

“Are you all right? I”m sorry I haven’t been to see you. Kanaya said you were improving...?”

"Yeah, close enough. Don’t worry about it. I’m cool. Got an awesome headache that's aspiring for a starring role in a drama about migraines, but other than that, just the usual. But how’re you? You look... tired."

'Tired' was not the word. 'Sick' was the word. Rose had the same red nose and pale complexion as Dave, but she seemed _thinner_. Lighter. Now that he was closer, he could see there were shadows like bruises under her eyes, and two feverish spots on her cheeks. Her eyes themselves, though... They were odd. Glittery, as if they were full of magic. It was creepy as fuck.

"Tactful," Rose acknowledged with a wry smile. It sounded like ‘tadpole’. It wasn’t exactly reassuring.  "I'm better."

"Better meaning what, exactly? Not dead?"

"Not dead." Her expression softened, though her eyes remained just as bright. "Don't worry, Dave. We'll be okay, it’s just a cold. You want to sit for a while? You can push the books over."

"Nah. Wouldn't wanna mess with Kanaya. She looks pretty worn out. Um…” He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “This is gonna sound hella rude, but don't trolls usually sleep in that slime stuff?"

Rose rested a hand on her forehead, as if the weight there was helping keep her brain in place. "Yes, but... I don't think they have to do it all the time. Doesn't Gamzee have that horn pile?"

Dave blew air out soundlessly, ruffling his bangs, and stifled a cough. "I don't think we want to compare anything that guy does to anyone normal. Maybe... maybe you should wake her up."

Rose's brows came together. "Why? If she's resting, surely it's the same as sleeping anywhere."

"I don't know," Dave said uncomfortably. He looked down at Kanaya, watching her back gently rise and fall with each breath. "I just... feel kinda not-good about it. Karkat was with me, and this morning..." He stopped, reluctant to give voice to his worries lest speaking them make them true.

"This morning?" Rose asked.  He could feel her becoming the 'Dr Lalonde' of old, and it gave him the strength of those easier days, before the game. "Go on."

Dave shrugged, speaking slowly but determinedly. "I dunno. He was fine for a couple of days, maybe crowdin' me like the most co-dependent nursemaid ever, but it was cool. I mean, we're buds, he was worried, I got that." He hesitated, not finding any other gesture besides another helpless shrug to convey his feelings. "It was just not like him, that's all. He scared the shit out of me. Turned out he was just drooling everywhere, but he never did that before, and then he got all bitchy, which is yeah, pretty much just like him, but -- I dunno, Rose, it was different! He was different. I thought he was angry with me, people get impatient with sick people and I was kinda whiny, but it wasn't just that. It was like he was looking for an excuse to leave. Like he was jumpy, or something was off, and he hasn’t even pestered me since he left... and I guess that's it. Shit, I sound like some lovesick preteen who can’t understand why the lead singer of her favorite scene band won’t answer her tweets. Okay, I know it's pretty weak, but..."

“You did spend a lot of time together. Maybe he wanted to be alone. There’s nothing wrong with that. Give him space.”

Dave shrugged shortly, frustrated. “I thought of that. I don’t know, maybe? But it wasn’t right, and I’m freaking out a little. What if not having that slime makes them weird?”

Rose was quiet, her gaze turning to Kanaya. Without taking her eyes from the troll, she said, "So... you're worried Kanaya may be having… mood problems? From lack of slime?"

"Not just mood issues. I mean, what if she is?" Dave coughed again, already exhausted from standing for so long. His throat was starting to hurt from talking, annoying the hell out of him. When was this shit going to end already? "Like, is she drooling? … God, that sounds pretty fucking dumb, I don't know what I'm thinking or why it even matters. Maybe all trolls but Karkat drool on a regular basis, fuck if I know."

“I’m sure she’s fine.” Despite her words, Rose was so still that Dave wasn't sure if she was tense or falling asleep. Seconds passed before Rose sat up and reached out to stroke Kanaya's hair. She ran her fingers through it, coughing faintly into her sleeve as she and Dave watched Kanaya’s locks separate and pool like ebony silk. Dave shifted, uneasiness worsening. If Rose was sure Kanaya was okay, why was she waking her?

At last, Kanaya stirred. "Mmh..."

"Good morning, starshine," Rose said kindly, petting Kanaya once more. "I thought it might be uncomfortable sleeping like that for long. Would you like to move?"

"Hmm..." Kanaya sat up, rubbing one eye, her back mostly to Dave. He had half an instant to wonder if she was all right, enough time to think he was being absofuckinglutely stupid, when she drew back from the bed, one hand over her mouth. “Oh -- how embarrassing.”

Rose's cheeks drained of what color remained in them.  "Not at all. Here." She held out a clean handkerchief, her tone calm despite her shaking hand. "This will help."

Kanaya took it with a drowsy, self-deprecating laugh. "Thank you. I suppose this is why one doesn’t sleep in chairs.”

Dave watched Kanaya wipe something away, something that glistened as green as a beetle’s wing before it was absorbed by the black cloth. The floor seemed to drop out from under him. It was a coincidence, wasn't it? Immediately he heard two voices in his head, John's with an optimistic "That doesn't mean anything, Dave!" and his brother's with a sardonic "Looks like you're fucked now, kiddo," and he took a step back.

"I'm gonna go find Karkat," he said. "I'll come back later. Don't forget fluids, Rose. Lots of water."

Kanaya looked at him, the handkerchief still pressed to the corner of her mouth. "Karkat? He's -- he's sleeping. You should message him first."

Was it his imagination? Was she more tense than she'd been a second ago? Why? "What, in the pod thing?"

She nodded quickly. "Yes, exactly. He wouldn't be able to visit with you until he bathed after, in any case."

"Oh." He shot a look at Rose, glad his sunglasses made him hard to read. She was staring back at him, uncertainty finally creeping into her fever-bright eyes. "Well, good, glad he's resting. Guess I'll message him, then. I can do that in my room. Speaking of showers, I should probably grab one, too. It's been a couple of days. I'm probably really ripe. You know how it is, Rose and I can't smell each other, but man, this has gotta be hell on your delicate troll sensitivities, right?" He knew he was babbling, that there was no need for it, but he was too nervous to shut up. He backed toward the door, a hand out to grab it. "I'll go do that, get all spiffed up, gotta get sexified and stuff. Okay. Yeah. See you."

He found the door and pushed it wide enough to escape through, fumbling with the process of activating the Pesterchum app in his shades. John's icon came up, flashing excitedly.

"Sorry, man," Dave muttered to himself, a cough tickling the base of his throat. "I'll get back to you, I promise."

He kept a hand on the wall to guide him as he walked, preoccupied with opening Karkat's window. He hesitated, coughed into a fist, and dragged out his long-lost courage.

_Wake up, asshole. I miss you._

That was good. To the point. Could be ironic if necessary. Yeah, he was covered.

He continued on to his room, the coughing worsening. He was getting dizzy. Seriously, how lame was this? But… maybe he would just lay down while he waited for Karkat. Sure.


	6. Chapter 6

“Karkat.”

Someone was shaking him.

“Karkat. Wake up, brother. Pretty sure I ain’t killed you yet.”

Dave. Dave was …

No. That wasn’t Dave.

He was pulled upward, out of the sopor slime sucking at his limbs, caressing his skin, the weight of it catching at his clothes, trying to drag him back into the cocoon. The air was frigid, washing over him and cooling the slime, and he struggled weakly. He ached all over, and his throat felt like it was on fire, but the worst was the confused alarm. “What…”  
  
“Gonna drown if you stay in there, bro.” Whoever it was hauled him over the edge of the cocoon and onto the floor, hard fingers digging in beneath Karkat’s armpits, the pressure bruising.   
  
“Wait,” he gasped. There was a weight in his chest, something pressing down on him, making it hard to breathe. He coughed, a thick, almost metallic taste in his throat. The slime from his cocoon left a trail behind him like a slug, glistening over the metal plates. “Wait.”  
  
The person finally stopped, releasing their hold. Karkat slumped over on his side, alternating between coughing and sucking air as if someone was planning on taking it away. With one hand, he wiped at his face, unsure if what he was clearing away was from the cocoon or from himself.  Squinting, he smeared slime from his eyes and looked up.  
  
His moirail stood there, backlit by the meteor’s overhead lamps, his face in shadow, his hair sticking out in crazy waves. His black t-shirt was crusted with differnt colors of old blood, his fingernails dirty. His serrated teeth gleamed through a grin. “Not lookin’ so good, friend. Think you mighta caught somethin’.”  
  
“Gamzee…?” Karkat pushed himself up into a sitting position, the congestion in his head shifting with a slow slide. He was partly glad to see his friend, and partly sure this was bad. He frowned, trying to think through the fog of hurt and fever. “You…”  
  
“Heard it was stomach worms. Oughta be more careful.”  
  
“No, it’s not… I…” His nose started to run again – had it always been running? – and he tried to wipe at it with his sleeve, but everything was soaked. He sniffed instead, having to do it a couple of times to make any progress.   
  
“Okay, break’s over,” Gamzee announced cheerfully. “Ablution time. You’re a motherfuckin’ mess.” He leaned down and grabbed Karkat under the arms again. Karkat tried to pull away, but he wasn’t strong enough. Gamzee kept hold and dragged him onward, over the smooth floor and out the thick metal door.  
  
Karkat wondered if he’d ingested any of the sopor slime in his coccoon. He was dizzy and confused, unable to figure out what was going on. Gamzee had been keeping to himself; why was he even here? His moirail had said he was going to kill them all. Was it finally Karkat’s turn? Fear rose up, and his labored heart beat faster. He struggled again, but Gamzee’s hold was unbreakable.   
  
Gamzee tsk’d as they worked their way down the hall, the slime trail gone as the stuff hardened and flaked off of Karkat's clothes. “You gotta learn to chill, brother. All this fuss is gonna end with you hurtin’ yourself. It’s just a bath, KK. Relax.”  
  
“Gamzee, please. Can’t…” Karkat sagged in Gamzee’s grip, panting, his nose running freely, every muscle screaming at him to stop. Exhausted, Karkat went limp, trying to think while his best friend hauled him around like a sacrificial musclebeast, taking him to be murdered on the altar of insanity. There had to be something he could do, someone he could call, even without a husktop –  
  
He was lifted suddenly, yanked upward and dropped onto a low bench. His head throbbed in protest, and he couldn’t hold back a groan. Without warning, Gamzee caught the bottom of Karkat’s shirt and pulled it roughly over his head. There was a wet plop as it was discarded somewhere, and Gamzee’s long fingers went to Karkat’s pants next.  
  
“No,” Karkat said, apalled at how weak he sounded. He flapped his hands at Gamzee’s, to no avail. Gamzee merely pushed them out of the way and undid the soggy jeans, hauling them off Karkat’s hips along with his underwear.   
  
“Least you didn’t piss yourself like a little wriggler. You’re better off than Terezi.”  
  
That sent a hot spark into Karkat’s brain, firing his blood. He seized at the brief surge of strength, knowing it wouldn’t last. Shivering slightly from the air cooling his skin, he pushed his hands between his thighs protectively, demanding, “What’s wrong with Terezi? Is she okay?”  
  
“She smells like a filthy bitch.” He reached past Karkat, and there was the squeak of a spigot before warm water rushed over Karkat’s shoulders, rinsing away the remnants of the sopor slime. Another groan, this time in uncertain relief. Gamzee wielded the ablution hose with efficient skill, never keeping it for too long in one place, washing everything: head, trunk, legs. Karkat was alternately freezing and cozy, leaning against the metal wall, shutting his eyes whenever water poured through his hair and over his face. He tried to be embarrassed that he was being bathed like a damn grub, but he couldn’t manage more than a modicum of shame. It actually felt… good.  
  
When it was over, a thick, black towel was rubbed over him then wrapped around tight. He clung to it, blinking tiredly. He pressed the edge of it to his nose, coughing behind the cloth.  
  
“Gamzee… that… it was nice.” He had more to ask. He almost didn’t want to hear the answer, but he had to know. Cautiously, he added, “What’re you doing here?”  
  
“Why do ya think?” His friend grinned again, moving closer to rub another towel over Karkat’s hair. He worked around the horns, humming something tuneless.   
  
Karkat sat for a moment in silence, sniffling. “… you were looking for me?”  
  
“Uh-huh.”  
  
“…You wanted to… help me?”  
  
Gamzee grunted cheerfully, finishing up the hair drying and tossing the towel in the corner. “Gotta keep you healthy.”  
  
Warm tendrils of hope spilled through Karkat, his eyes growing moist. “Really?”  
  
“Yeah, man.” Gamzee grinned again. “Nothin’s allowed to kill you but _me_.”  
  
Karkat froze, his stomach turning to lead. The hope in him died, shrivelling up and leaving frustration and sadness in its wake. Why was this happening?! “Gamzee –”  
  
“Shhhh~” Gamzee tapped Karkat’s mouth through the towel. “Gotta stay strong, brother. Ain’t your time yet. Only I say when.”  
  
Swallowing the fear and pain in his throat, Karkat forced his brain to do something useful. If he was supposed to get well before Gamzee could kill him, then… then he couldn’t be killed _now_. Most likely. And even if he was killed now, it’d definitely be a mercy killing. It was worth the risk to know. “What you said about Terezi. Is she –”  
  
Gamzee’s smile took on a steel edge. “She’s a choice piece of ass. Puked everywhere. Fuckin’ hilarious.”  
  
“Puked? Oh, shit, no, she’s not –”  
  
“Told her Faygo would help, but I mighta been wrong about that. Shoulda seen it. Was like a motherfuckin’ rainbow. A fuckin’ rainbow!”  
  
Staring, disbelieving, Karkat shook his head. “No, Gamzee, it’s not funny. If she’s sick, then it’s contagious. This is bad, this is so bad –”  
  
“I never told ya, KK, but you talk too fuckin’ much. Motherfuckin’ motor mouth!” His friend leaned in, ruffling Karkat’s tousled hair. His breath was warm and damp, and his yellow gaze was filled with frightening purpose. “You wanna come with? I can take ya to her. We can watch her piss herself together. Not as funny as the puke, but still pretty fuckin’ funny.”  
  
“I… I can’t. I gotta …” Karkat swallowed against the tight lump in his throat and coughed. He had to make this sound real. I _can’t be afraid, if he even fucking_ cares _if I’m afraid. If he cares about anything anymore besides his fucking crazy ass and his fucking psychotic plans. I have to help Terezi. I have to_ do  _something_. “Gotta make sure this rock doesn’t fly into the fucking sun. I’m busy. Have things to do, important things. Can’t always fuck around like some people.”  
  
Gamzee regarded him for a long, heart-stopping minute -- then shrugged. “Yeah, always the boss, that’s you. Guess we all gotta do what we gotta do. Be seein’ ya then, bro.” He stepped back toward the open doorway.  
  
Karkat thrust a hand out. “Wait! I wasn’t kidding about it being contagious! You have to be careful, you’re going to catch it and –”  
  
“Nah.” His moirail tossed him another smile that was all the more frightening for its maliciousness. “I’m good. Can’t kill me. Gotta get through you lot first. Later.” He slipped out into the corridor, a faint honk sounding in his wake.  
  
Karkat waited as the honks subsided into silence before curling up against the wall of the ablution block. He buried his face in the towel, and told himself not to be a pathetic wiggler, but the tears came anyway.  
  
* * * * *  
  
EB: karkat, are you back yet? we need to ask you something! it’s really important.  
  
EB: is dave still sick? rose won’t answer me either. :(  
  
EB: okay, i guess i’ll try someone else. anyone else. what are you all doing?? 


	7. Chapter 7

"Kanaya? Honey, you have to move your legs. I can't carry you."  
  
Kanaya nodded her assent, making a soft, apologetic noise. She leaned heavily on Rose, one hand on the metal hull, her long skirt tripping her every other step. Vomit stained the fabric over her thighs from when she’d been sick in her lap.  
  
Rose kept her arm around Kanaya's waist, taking most of her weight, her own knees trembling as they made their way slowly down the long corridor to Kanaya's room. It was too far, but what choice did they have? They had to get Kanaya to her recuparacoon, and there was no teleporter that led there. Without it....  
  
Rose didn’t want to think about it. She had made a royal mess of everything already. With every step she tortured herself with her mistakes, dissecting every choice she'd made so far and destroying it with desperate castigation. She should have known Kanaya would get sick. She should have Seen it. She could have asked the horrorterrors days ago, made them reveal the secrets about the possible future, but she was so wrapped up in herself and Dave that she hadn't bothered to Look beyond. It was her fault she wasn't well, her fault that Kanaya and Karkat were suffering. She was so selfish, so _stupid_ \--  
  
Kanaya stumbled, and Rose tried to grab her with reflexes that barely existed, too dulled by fever and weakness. Her grip was loose, Kanaya tried to hold on, and they lost their balance, colliding with the wall before sliding to the floor with a bone-jarring thump. Rose's elbow took most of the impact, sending an unpleasant zing up her arm, and she bit back a hiss of frustrated cussing.  
  
"Rose...?" Her matesprit coughed with a damp, unpleasant sound, her breath bubbling through the vibrant green mucus that leaked from her nose. Weakly, she wiped at it, smearing it over her arm. "I'm sorry. I was dizzy..."  
  
"No, shh, pretty girl." Rose ignored her own soreness and reached out, tugging Kanaya's arm away. She pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and cleaned up the mess, gently dabbing under Kanaya's nose, pretending she couldn’t see the way her own hand shook. "We'll get to your room and you'll be fine. Everything will be fine."  
  
"Karkat --"  
  
"Dave's going to look for him. I'm sure he's fine by now, too." She stroked Kanaya's cheek, hating how ashen it was, hated how much this -- this virus, this _game_ was hurting her. "We have to stand up now. Are you ready?"  
  
Kanaya sneezed, and even that was weak. More jade green droplets sprayed along the floor and Rose's arm, but mostly it just made Kanaya's nose run again.  
  
Rose wiped once more, then pressed the handkerchief into her girlfriend's hand.  
"You hold onto that. We have a little ways more to go." Rose couldn't stop the encouraging words, but she had a feeling both of them knew it was all bullshit.  
  
She couldn't support Kanaya forever; she was too depleted. Whatever illness this was, it was attacking their lungs, slowly making breathing a constant struggle. It was almost like tuberculosis, from what she could tell, except there was no blood. Just gallons of mucus, fever that ran too high for too long, aches in every limb. After she’d vomited, Kanaya had confessed that the same thing had happened to Karkat, but it hadn’t been a big clue, since it hadn’t happened again. Rose had no idea what they were dealing with, and no way to make it stop. But this was a fucking _game_ : everything had an answer. This couldn’t be a null session, couldn’t end. They had all their players, so there was a way out.  
  
But she couldn’t find it. She could barely help herself, let alone her friends. Thanks to her dealings with the Other Side, she had fewer coughing spells than the others, but even the horrorterrors couldn't stop the sickness entirely. She needed more strength; she needed _help_ , but there was none.  
  
She would contact someone, if she could remember where she'd left her laptop. The memory of its last location kept slipping away from her, ephemeral and elusive as a ghost, frustratingly near yet incomprehensible. She didn't know where the other trolls were, either. Hell, she didn't even know where Dave was, not that he would've been much more assistance. He couldn't say four words without coughing up something best left at the bottom of a storm drain.  
  
Some Seer she was. Some Seer.  
  
 _No._ She tightened one hand into a fist, her frustration flaring into anger. This wasn't the way. There were things that could help her, if she asked. She was still alive. She wasn't at the end of her rope just yet.  
  
With a soft, congested exhale, she shut her eyes. The pain of her headache solidified, became a sacramental drumbeat showing her the path to power. The darkness moved behind her eyelids, writhing shapes made of red and black and purple. They slithered past, gathered closer. Waited. Seethed.  
  
There was no hesitation as she put her request before them. They listened, they conferred, and then... they answered.  
  
The hallway was glowing suddenly, and Rose knew it wasn't from Kanaya. She felt her will triple, her desire burn like a dark fire inside of her. Inhaling, she opened her eyes. Quickly, she pulled Kanaya's arm over her shoulders. "Time to go, pretty girl."  
  
Kanaya stirred, blinking long lashes tiredly. "Yes. We… Rose. Your skin. It's … I thought you were not like me. You're human."  
  
"That's right. I'm going to help you up now, okay?"  
  
"No. This light -- are you a rainbow drinker?"  
  
"There is no light, love. You're sick. You're imagining it." Lies, blatant lies. But necessary ones. Alarming Kanaya wouldn't help. They had to move, while Rose still could. The vigor that came from the horrorterrors never lasted; it always had to be refreshed. And each time, Rose felt a little thinner, a little less herself. "Now, when I count three --"  
  
"Kanaya? Rose?"  
  
The voice was familiar, but she wasn’t prepared to hear it. Surprised, Rose surged to her feet. The effort left her dizzy, but her legs held steady, solid. She drew in another slow breath, trying to clear her head, the virility doing nothing to reduce the pain there. "…Karkat? What -- I..."  
  
She couldn't find a kind word to say. He was colloquially what people would refer to as 'death warmed over', but she would bet good boonbucks that he was closer to death than those cliched mundanes would think. He trembled where he stood against the wall, and he was paler than Kanaya, his skin like that of a dying fire: almost white-grey in some places, and deep red in others. His cheeks, his nose, the skin around his mouth -- all of it irritated or inflamed, flushed with his blood color, glistening with red secretions. His hair was wet, a black thicket of water droplets that occasionally slid onto his bare shoulders and trickled down to soak into the waist of his pants. And… he was barefoot.  
  
She grabbed her self-control with both hands. She didn't have time for this.  
  
"What are you doing here? Kanaya said you were in your room. You shouldn't be out of your recuparacoon --"  
  
"No." He shook his head, coughing, his voice clogged. "Doesn't help. Almost died."  
  
"What?" she protested faintly. "No, Dave said --"  
  
"Gamzee saved me." His mouth twisted before he coughed again, thick and wet.  
  
"Gamzee?" Rose rubbed one temple, trying to wrestle the new information into some semblance of order. She hadn't asked to be able to think, she'd asked for physical power, and only belatedly realized she needed both abilities to make sense of anything. "But he wanted to kill you. Kill all of us."  
  
Karkat gave her a crooked, sad half smile. "Not yet, I guess." His gaze went to Kanaya, his hand pressed against his chest. His breath made soft wheezing sounds in the quiet, tiny noises of effort that echoed. "Got you too, huh, Kanaya?"  
  
Rose's matesprit shrugged eloquently from where she sat against the metal wall, a matching half smile on her dark, nude lips. "I would not leave Rose, even if someone had told me beforehand what would happen."  
  
Karkat nodded slowly. "…yeah. Guess you're right. Well…" He paused to wipe his nose on his arm, leaving a pinkish streak in the same place Kanaya had left a green one on her own arm. "Time for…what did Aradia call it? The human death festival. Rose, you know what I mean."  
  
She stared, brow wrinkling. "The corpse party?"  
  
"Yeah, that thing." He gestured at her, the movement small and hesitant. "Looks like you're halfway there, too. Is that what happens at the end? Turning …glowy? We can all be rainbow-drinkers, lucky us."  
  
"Oh -- " Rose refused to look down at herself, not wanting to see the black light she knew was flickering like fireflies over her skin. " --no. That's … Karkat, if the sopor slime didn't help, what are we supposed to do? And I’m sorry, but why are you half naked?"  
  
He made a face. "I felt like a bath. And... and I don’t know what to do. Die, I guess? Fucking ruin everything because we’re too stupid to figure this out? ‘Cause we walked right into it all wow-look-at-this-cute-human-disease and didn’t stop to think that maybe they don’t have those in the fucking Medium?” He coughed and sniffled. “Don't think we have a choice. Except..." He hesitated. "Where's Dave?"  
  
Rose shrugged, her blood running cold as Karkat gave voice to her own secret thoughts. "I don't know. We haven't seen him in a while. I thought he was going to find you when he left, but I guess not. Karkat, what about everyone else? If you and Kanaya are both sick, then --"  
  
Karkat's expression changed, became tighter. "Gamzee said Terezi has it. He was fine though, I don't know why. If anyone should get it, it'd be him. Maybe he’s immune and we can hold him down and take his fucking purple blood."  
  
"And Sollux?"  
  
"I don't _know_ , I haven't been anywhere except getting drowned in two different places! Why the fuck doesn't one of us have a fucking communication --" He broke off, coughing in that awful, liquid way, the force of it bending him at the waist, making him hold onto the wall for support.  
  
Kanaya made a sound, a not-quite-scared-but-determined noise, and suddenly she was on her feet, swaying. She stifled another sneeze in Rose's handkerchief and blinked back jade tears. "We have to help them. There has to be something we can do."  
  
Karkat caught his breath, gasping. "We don't have a computer. We don't have anything. And in case you haven't noticed, none of us are very good at walking right now."  
  
"Wait." Rose frowned. There it was again, that tiny slip of a memory that was so hard to catch! She grabbed at it, seized it, made her head hurt worse and the light around her dance. "We… there's a computer."  
  
"Where?" Karkat demanded. "We're in a fucking hallway."  
  
"No, shut up! There is one, it's -- it's just --" Just _where_? She _knew_ this, she knew the answer, it was somewhere obvious, somewhere close but damn it all, why couldn't she remember??  
  
Kanaya's hand found hers, her girlfriend's thin fingers suddenly tangling with Rose's, stroking. "Where, Rose?" she asked calmly. Her words were slow and measured, as if they were chatting about something inconsequential, and not a tool that might save their entire session. "Is there another room, perhaps? Or a place of storage? Is it put away --"  
  
"That's it!" Rose laughed too loudly in relief, grabbed Kanaya and hugged her. "You're brilliant! Yes, I put it away! I didn't want to leave it out while I was sleeping, so I put it in my sylladex!"  
  
"Holy shit," Karkat murmured, sagging against the wall. "Well get it the fuck out so we can get the fuck out of here!"  
  
"Okay. Yes. It still needs a power source --"  
  
Karkat coughed and pushed himself up with what seemed like too great an effort to be believed. His hand was still against his chest, the knuckles almost white. "My room. Let's go."  
  
Rose nodded, holding tight to Kanaya's hand. "Can you walk, baby?"  
  
Kanaya echoed her nod, her jaw set, her face flushed an unhealthy green. "I'll make it. We are in this together, all of us. We'll find an answer."  
  
"And Dave." Rose took a step, reaching out to touch Karkat's shoulder. "We'll find Dave, too, make sure he's all right. Then we'll fix this."  
  
"Sure," Karkat agreed. He looked back down the narrow hallway, his face turned away from hers, his damp hair reflecting the yellow lights. "We'll fix it. Right." 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sollux, Dave, mentions of DaveKat

To say it was creepy on the meteor was a huge understatement. It was perpetually dark, with unchanging machinery rumbling around the clock, the perfect setting for a bad wriggler’s bedtime horror story. Without the demanding Voices to keep him company, Sollux was completely alone, and it was starting to get to him. Sure, trolls were solitary by nature, but he hadn’t seen anyone in three days, and while that might’ve been normal on Alternia, it was weird as shit here. No-one was answering his messages, not even Karkat, and if there was one thing Karkat loved to do, it was yell at people over the computer. 

The radio silence was unnerving. Karkat hadn’t come back since he’d come down with stomach worms – a diagnosis Sollux was seriously starting to doubt – and neither had Terezi after she’d cleaned up Karkat’s mess. Sollux had the horrible feeling that he was stuck in some doomsday scenario, the last person (half) alive on a floating rock populated only by a blind man, an insane clown and a bunch of slowly rotting bodies. There was no-one he could reach out to who could help him, no-one remotely close to their location. He was alone, completely, totally –

EB: sollux? i hope you’re there.

Sollux started at the sudden loud beep from his husktop, alerting him to the new Pesterchum window that had just opened. The computer read the message to him, and it only took a second for him to get over his initial shock and slam out a reply. 

TA: j0hn, what’s up? glad t0 see y0u guys are 0kay at least. have y0u seen the 0thers?

EB: no, that’s what i’m messaging you about. have you talked to them? you guys are in serious trouble!

TA: tell me ab0ut it. i think gamzee’s finally interested in s0mething besides us, th0ugh. i’ve barely heard fr0m him since that last fun meetup when he t00k my b0dy, the fucker.

EB: what? your body? but – okay, this sounds like a story that needs to be told in the best tradition of action stars and secret backgrounds, but first you have to listen!

TA: 0kay, i g0t n0thing else t0 d0. what is it?

EB: basically, you guys are gonna die if you don’t make this vaccine we have and give it to dave and rose.

TA: w0w that was t0tally unexpected. an0ther death threat. great. thanks for cushi0ning the bl0w.

EB: i’m serious! you have to make it and find dave and rose and cure them before the rest of you catch it!

TA: yeah, then while we’re being seri0us, y0ur’re a little late f0r that.

EB: what… really? who else is sick?

TA: every0ne except me, i think. i’m n0t sure ab0ut TZ, but i haven’t seen her recently.

EB: but not you? you’re okay?

TA: yeah. maybe it d0esn’t like blind pe0ple.

EB: maybe – wait, you’re blind? ugh i feel like i’m way out of the loop here. i’m sorry, sollux. um, hold on. i need to figure this out.

The chatter in his ear vanished, and Sollux waited. He’d given John flippant answers, but the silence stretched out into something stifling and heavy, and his thoughts darkened. This wasn’t a joke. He was half dead, so no, he didn’t think much would affect him, but that didn’t mean he wanted his friends to suffer. The thought of Dave and Rose, dead somewhere already, was fucking creepy, but the idea of Karkat in danger, his best friend since forever, his first crush, was so upsetting that Sollux stood up and turned toward the computer room door.

EB: okay i’m back. sorry, we were talking it over.

Sollux’s husktop read the message to him, and Sollux turned back to the screen he couldn’t see, brow furrowed.

TA: talking what 0ver? tell me the truth, is karkat g0ing t0 die?

EB: no, we can save him! well, you’ll have to do it, but it’ll be okay. just do what we tell you.

TA: d0 what? j0hn, if it’s anything that needs eyes, i’m seri0usly fucked. i can’t SEE.

EB: okay. you’re right, you said that. okay. then you need to go get someone. who’s closest?

TA: i guess dave is, if he’s n0t dead.

EB: he’s not dead.

TA: h0w d0 y0u kn0w?

EB: because he’s not! he’ll be fine if you go get him and make him answer me. we have instructions, but you need to use alchemy and the alchimeters. can you do that?

Sollux clamped his jaw tight, frustrated. Alchimeters, maybe. Putting the dowels on the lathes, aligning everything perfectly, being unable to tell if the item on the punch card was manufactured correctly – he scowled. He could maybe manage that, if he had a million years, but then the actual alchemy? Combining and heating and beakers and test tubes?

TA: …n0.

EB: then go get dave. hurry, sollux. this is super bad. we don’t want to lose you guys.

TA: y0u keep saying that. what’s super bad, j0hn? what the hell is g0ing on?

EB: davesprite says it’s some kind of plague. it’s got a stupid fancy name, Plagation or something, but it’ll kill anyone it touches. he saw it in another session, it wiped out every player except two.

TA: and by the time they figured 0ut the cure, it was t00 late f0r their sessi0n. 

EB: yeah. i’m sorry. if i’d known sooner, i would’ve warned you, but i didn’t think it was a big deal so i didn’t tell davesprite right away.

TA: it’s n0t y0ur fault. r0se said it was c0mm0n 0n earth. n0ne 0f us th0ught it was a big deal. but we have the time player, n0t y0u.

EB: yeah. :( please go get dave. i – we have to make sure he’s okay. without him, even if we save the others, i don’t know what’ll happen. and… he’s my best friend, sollux.

TA: yeah.

Sollux thought about Karkat, thought about saying something to John about him, but it wasn’t John’s business, and Sollux wasn’t really the sharing type. He’d already lost Aradia and Feferi; he wasn’t going to lose Karkat, too.

TA: brb.

He took the headphones off and stood for a moment in the darkness that was only his own, the meteor lighting the same as night to him. Drawing in a slow breath, he focused on the faint, purring whir of the meteor’s mechanics, and put a hand out into empty space. Cautiously, he walked to the door.

* * * *

Sollux hadn’t been to Dave’s room since ages ago, when it had been a storage closet and he and his friends had all been exploring the meteor. He remembered where it was, if not how far. There wasn’t much else down that way except Rose’s room, also ex-storage, and some equipment that nobody could figure out and no-one used. The hallway ultimately wrapped around to the common room, but it was shorter just to use the transportalizer in the computer room, so no-one ever walked through the newly-made Human Hospital Wing.

Sollux kept his hand on the wall, running it over rivets one by one as he walked, tiny bump-bump-bumps beneath his fingertips.  His own voice ran through his head as he walked, filling in the dark and the quiet with a stream of reassurance that sounded pathetic even to himself.

_They’re fine. Well, they’re sick, but that’s okay. We’ll fix it. Dave and Karkat are already stupid for each other, Dave’ll help Karkat, no questions asked. This will be fine. No one else is gonna die, we’ll get this vaccine thing made in time, whatever it is –_

He stopped suddenly, ears pricked, heart speeding up. He could hear breathing up ahead, heavy and slow. Gamzee? If it was Gamzee, and he wasn’t happy with Sollux’s body and wanted another, then Sollux was a goner. Adrenaline flooded his blood, his entire being screaming at him to run, but he squared his shoulders. If he was going to die, then he wouldn’t do it like a wimp.

The breathing stuttered, stopped, and suddenly coughing echoed through the metal hallway.

Sollux’s own breath caught, and when he finally released it, he was surprised it didn’t hurt. That hadn’t sounded like his old friend. Determined, he resumed his walk, moving closer to the noise. Within minutes his fingers lost the wall, hitting open air. He reached out until he found the other side of the door frame, relief brief. He’d made it, but who was inside the room? Trying to stay calm in case this was the wrong person, he said only, “Hey, you okay?”

Wheezing answered him, then a thick sniff. “Yeah,” Dave said roughly, another cough escaping. “Good enough.”

The tension in Sollux’s body released all at once at his success, but worry for Karkat made it rebound twice as hard. Dave didn’t sound okay to Sollux. He sounded anything but okay. He sounded horrible, like he was being smothered in sticky mud. Was Sollux too late? “Sorry for pointing this out, but you actually sound like shit.”

Dave gave a rusty, bubbling chuckle. “And you sound like Karkat. What’re you doing here, Sollux? I’m shit company right now.”

No, he couldn’t be too late. John said it was still possible to save everyone, Karkat and Dave included. It didn’t matter what Dave sounded like, it mattered that he could talk at all, that he was still alive. “John’s been trying to talk to you. He says you’re really sick.”

“No shit.” 

There was a halting, gurgling sound that Sollux realized was Dave blowing his nose. It went on for way too long, and Sollux said urgently, silently freaking out, “He can explain it better than I can. You wearing your iShades? Or do you have your computer?“

"Oh… yeah. Somewhere…”

“Get them. I’d help you look, but.”

“Yeah, I’ll find ‘em.”

There were some shuffling noises, cloth and paper moving around, some harder thunks from things Sollux couldn’t identify. Dave coughed every few heartbeats, small, percolating coughs that didn’t do anything, and Sollux wondered if they were small because Dave was trying to hold them in, or if he didn’t have the strength to cough properly.

“Found 'em.”

That must mean the sunglasses, since a computer wasn’t plural. Sollux waited, then waited some more, listening until his ears hurt. “Well?” he asked at last.

“Oh – shit, sorry.” Dave shifted, cloth sliding against itself. “Forgot. You want the bad news or the worse news?”

“Well, he already told me you’re all gonna die. We have to make somthing called a vaccine, I guess. And we have to fucking hurry, or you and Rose and Karkat are –”

“Karkat?” Dave interrupted sharply. “What about Karkat?”

Sollux stared into his own eternal darkness, well aware that his spooky eyeless gaze would convey the right deadpan look to someone who still had vision. “You serious? I thought you guys were exploring the flushed quadrant like Aradia explores ruins. You know, hardcore into it. Don’t you talk?”

“What _about_ Karkat?” Dave asked. His voice was closer. “Is he sick? Oh fuck, he is, isn’t he. _Fuck_.”

Sollux took a step back, Dave’s intensity and his congested voice alarming. “I don’t know, maybe I’m wrong. He was sick a day or two ago, but he wouldn’t let me touch him. He said it was stomach worms, and Kanaya was there, so it’s not like I would know better than her, but she’s gone, too. I haven’t talked to him since. I thought he wasn’t answering 'cause he was holed up in here with you.”

Dave sniffled loudly, then grunted in annoyance. “No, he left. I thought he was…” There was a pause, then he continued, quieter and distinctly embarrassed. “I thought he was mad at me. I thought he just wanted to be alone for a while.”

Stupid humans and their dumb single… whatever the fuck a quadrant was called when there was only one. This is why civilized people had auspistices. Suddenly more afraid of what might’ve happened, he snapped, “Yeah, well he’s alone now, you made sure of that.”

“I made sure? He left me! And if you’re best friends, then why haven’t _you_ gone –” Coughing interrupted Dave, weak, gasping breaths between coughs, and something clattered to the floor.

Immediately guilt slammed into Sollux. Beating up on a sick _(possibly dying, remember?)_ person just because he was scared was fucking low. He shook his head, took a deep breath, and resigned himself to being the next one to succumb to the plague if they didn’t fix this, because fuck it. He didn’t want to be the only person left in a dead session, and he didn’t want Karkat to die because Sollux was a shitty cluckbeast.

“Hey, okay, I’m sorry.” He stepped into the room, shuffling his feet to kick away anything on the floor, hands out, reaching for Dave. His searching fingers found soft, plush cloth stretched across something firm and incredibly hot, and it took him a second to realize it was Dave’s back. From the way it was curved, like a dome, it was obvious that Dave was doubled over, shaking as he coughed.

The fabric slid under Sollux’s hands as Dave struggled to quell his fit, and Sollux could think of nothing to do except rub his back the way Karkat used to rub Sollux’s when things were bad. Suddenly Dave gagged and his body jerked forward, and something new splashed onto the floor. The smell of bile wafted up, and Sollux wrinkled his nose, dragging sarcasm over his fear. “Shit, tell me that wasn’t a lung.”

Dave gave another humorless laugh, squished between more wheezing , shallow and slow. “Had to lighten the load. Two broken lungs is too many.”

He sniffled and stood up, but Sollux didn’t dare to withdraw his hands. Dave was shaking, and his fever was incredible. It knocked his fear up another notch, +20 to freaking the fuck out. “Okay, Dave, take a minute. You just puked –”

“John says we need alchimeters. Is there a faster way to get there than –”

“I’m serious, this is crazy already, I know this needs to get made, but you need to slow down for a second before you –”

“We can’t slow down! We’re dead if we don’t do this, we can’t keep stopping – ” Dave gasped and grabbed Sollux’s arm, his hand burning through Sollux’s sleeve. “Karkat,” he hissed. Then, again, louder but choked. “Karkat’s with Rose. He’s – they’re –” Dave stopped, his breath hiccuping. “Fuck. _Fuck_ , Karkat.”

Sollux listened, alarmed. “What? What happened? What about Karkat? Is he – are they –?”

“Rose is online,” Dave said thickly, and Sollux could swear he was trying not to cry. “They’re in Karkat’s room.”

A weight in Sollux’s stomach lifted like a helium balloon, threatening to take him with it. Karkat was okay – well not okay, but alive, and shit, that was what mattered right now. And Rose, too. The worst hadn’t happened. They could still win this, follow John’s instructions and save everyone.

But he barely had time to celebrate before Dave pulled Sollux toward the hallway, coughing. “They’re still alive. She talked to John. We all have the recipe now. We have to go.”

Sollux dug in his heels, dragging back. “Wait. I get that the 'recipe’ is for that vaccine thingy, but you need water or something, and you don’t have any idea about where Karkat’s room even is. I’ll show you if you get a fucking drink and promise not to die on the way there.”

“Fuckin’ bossy as Rose,” Dave muttered, but he went back into the room, moved more crap around and came back to latch onto Sollux’s arm. “Water got. Let’s move.”

“Follow me.” Sollux put out his hand to touch the wall, but it was more for reassurance. He knew there was nothing in the way now, and he had an unknown deadline to meet. He hurried as much as he could, as much as he dared, and Dave kept up with him, stumbling along in his wake, his lungs protesting the entire way.

 _Hold on, Karkat_ , Sollux thought, and he knew Dave was thinking the same thing. _We’re coming._


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DaveKat, Rosemary, Sollux

Karkat sat at his desk, his own breath wheezing in his ears, irritating the shit out of him. Swallowing back coughs, he pounded on Rose's computer, not caring at all that he was being rough with the keys. He had a point to get across, and fast, before the fevered weakness in him took away his ability to do even this much.  
  
KK: DAVE. ROSE IS LOSING IT. DON'T COME ALL THE WAY TO MY ROOM, YOU NOOKSNIFFING LACKWITS. DO I HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING AROUND HERE? OF COURSE I DO, OTHERWISE NOTHING GETS DONE, AND WE ALL END UP IN THE INCINERATOR WITH THE REST OF THE GARBAGE.  
  
TG: do you have a point kk or are you just trying to ruin our eyes along with the rest of us.  
  
KK: IF YOU'D PAY ATTENTION INSTEAD OF JUST CRAWLING AROUND LIKE A ZOMBIE, YOU'D REALIZE THAT THE COMPUTER ROOM IS ON THE WAY TO MY ROOM. THERE'S A TRANSPORTALIZER THERE. THERE ISN'T ONE IN MY ROOM. DO YOU SEE WHERE I'M GOING WITH THIS? IS THIS SPARKING SOME SORT OF RECOGNITION ON YOUR PART? A VAGUE KIND OF STIRRING IN YOUR WATERY THINKPAN? THE IDEA THAT GOSH GOLLY JEGUS WHIZ MAYBE IT'D BE BETTER TO NOT GO ANY FARTHER THAN YOU ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO, CONSIDERING WE'RE ALL ABOUT TO DROP DEAD AND MAYBE WOULD LIKE TO PREVENT THAT?  
  
TG: i dunno. lecturing is your life. i dont want to take this away from you. its your only joy at this point and im not one to deprive a person of their only comfort. plus youre cute.  
  
Karkat blushed, and was immediately glad that both Rose and Kanaya were too sick to notice, and that all of them were already so fucked-up with fever that there was no way to tell Karkat's cheeks were trying to broadcast how stupid he was. He shifted Rose's computer on his lap, sniffling.  
  
KK: YOU DID NOT JUST TRY TO INSULT ME. THERE IS A CRISIS AT HAND, DAVE. THIS IS NO TIME FOR YOU TO EXERCISE SOME SORT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TRICK. CRISIS INTIMACY IS WHAT YOU AND SOLLUX HAVE RIGHT NOW, NOT YOU AND ME. WE'RE ON A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PLANE. THERE IS A DIFFERENT QUADRANT HAPPENING THAT YOUR PUNY HUMAN MIND CAN'T EVEN BEGIN TO COMPREHEND.  
  
TG: yeah yeah your red feelings are so hard to distinguish from humans liking someone. okay kk have it your way. now were in the secret quadrant.   
  
TG: which, since theres four of already, makes it a quintant. or something. the secret fifth section.   
  
TG: i feel like im sitting in the cheap seats and i didnt bring a cushion.  
  
KK: JUST SHUT UP AND GO TO THE COMPUTER ROOM. WE'LL MEET YOU THERE.  
  
There. Now it was up to Sollux to make sure Dave made it.  
  
Leaving Karkat's room meant no communication for a few minutes, but since it was the only way to get them all where they needed to go, they didn't have a choice. Karkat wished he'd been able to talk to everyone before they'd all gone gallivanting over the entire fucking meteor without considering what the hell they were doing, but his insane moirail had dragged his ass into an unconsenting shower, and while being clean had actually helped Karkat feel better for ten minutes, it hadn't done anything worthwhile towards figuring this mess out.  
  
They were all just lucky as fuck that John and the other Dave weren't as dumb as they looked.  
  
... okay, Davesprite didn't look dumb, probably. He probably looked like Dave. Probably looked good.  
  
Rose cleared her throat, and not just for effect. She was beside Kanaya, sitting against the useless recuparacoon. The black glow that had surrounded Rose was fading to gray, but it wasn't gone yet. Kanaya had no halo of her own at all. She was a sickly greenish-slate in the odd black light, and the way the excretions seeping from her eyes and nose reflected the glow made her look like she was made of melting jade.   
  
"We'd better go, if you're done," Rose said without inflection. "If we don't get moving, we won't make it."  
  
Karkat shut her laptop and stood. Was it sad that he was getting used to waiting for the vertigo to pass whenever he changed position? Most likely. "I'm ready. Should we carry her...?"  
  
"I do not need to be carried." Kanaya stirred and wiped at her face with her sleeve. Frowning slightly, she forced herself up, sliding upward along the recuparacoon until she was standing, swaying like a willow tree. Her voice was a broken husk. "I will walk."  
  
Rose opened her mouth to say something, but seemed to think better of it. Instead, she got to her feet and took Kanaya's hand. The black flames licked at Kanaya's skin, danced over it briefly, then retreated back to Rose.  
  
Karkat looked away. It felt too much like he was watching something private. "Okay, then let's go already," he said, his own voice struggling past the shit in his throat. The weight of the congestion in his chest was increasing by the hour. He could literally feel it dragging at him, cutting off more of his lung capacity. They didn't have time to fuck around.  
  
"This way." He went out first, trusting the girls to follow. He didn't look back. It would've been too much like one of those movies about the walking dead, seeing Rose and Kanaya shambling down dank corridors with their arms out, moaning. Karkat kept his own hand on the wall, needing the support, and he could tell from the echoes of their movements that Rose was doing the same. But there was little breath to spare moaning; mostly they coughed.  
  
* * * * *  
  
The computer room was exactly as he'd left it, minus Sollux. But that was no surprise. Dave's room was farther than Karkat's. They'd gotten here first, but they could get things ready while they waited. Karkat went to his husktop and fell into the chair before it, grateful to be off his feet.   
  
"Here," he heard Rose say. "We'll set it up here. That way they can send us the finished items without going far."  
  
So Rose was already preparing her side. Now they just needed Dave and Sollux to move their goddamn asses. Karkat logged into Pesterchum, but there were no waiting messages. He couldn't figure out if that meant they were still en route, or if they were dead somewhere, but if they were dead, they should've said something. Making him guess was fucking rude as fuck.  
  
KK: WELL, WHAT A SURPRISE, WE'RE HERE AND YOU'RE NOT. YOU'RE SLOW IN YOUR DOTAGE. PROBABLY CREEPING ALONG LIKE A SLIME GRUB, LOOKING FOR PLANTS TO RUIN OR TOES TO GET CAUGHT UNDER. MOVE IT ALREADY.   
  
TG: coming  
  
Karkat waited for the rest of the message -- he personally hated it when he hit the ENTER button too soon -- but that was it. The truncated post stayed truncated, and the longer he waited, the more apparent it became that there wasn't going to be anything else. Worry pulsed through him, his heart thumping sluggishly against his ribs. What was Dave doing?  
  
KK: ELOQUENT. YOU FORGOT THE FULL STOP AT THE END. SLACKING ON EVERYTHING, AREN'T YOU, STRIDER. GIVE YOU AN INCH, YOU TAKE A FOOTBALL FIELD. WOULD YOU LIKE US TO COOK YOU DINNER AND HAVE IT HOT ON THE PROVERBIAL TABLE FOR YOU WHEN YOU GET HERE? OR GET YOUR COCOON ALL NICE AND WARM? ALL NICE AND COMFY SO YOU CAN KICK BACK AND FORGET ABOUT THE ENTIRE SESSION ENDING?  
  
KK: WELL YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET ONE DAMN THING IF YOU DON'T GET IN HERE. AND MAYBE GIVE US A HEADS-UP ON YOUR STATUS. ARE YOU CLOSE? DID YOU HAVE TO MAKE A LOAD GAPER SIDE TRIP? ARE YOU IN THE MIDDLE OF SOILING YOUR BEST PANTS AT THE MERE THOUGHT OF HAVING TO SAVE THE WORLD? BECAUSE I'M READY.  
  
KK: I'LL DO WHAT IT TAKES, PANTS OR NO PANTS. AND THESE ARE SOME REALLY NICE PANTS, BY THE WAY. BUT I'D GIVE THEM UP IN THE NAME OF SURVIVAL.   
  
KK: FUCKING SHIT, I'M TALKING LIKE YOU NOW. I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS. WOULD YOU JUST GET THE FUCK IN HERE, PLEASE? YOU'RE HOLDING EVERYTHING UP.  
  
"Little help, please? Anyone?" Karkat spun in his chair, eyes widening as Sollux and Dave appeared in the far doorway. Dave's arm was draped over Sollux's shoulders, bending Sollux over almost in half with the weight.   
  
Karkat shot to his feet, stumbling over the floor as darkness blotted out his vision, then receded. "Dave?" His eyes cleared as he reached them, hands grabbing Dave's hood, his shoulder, trying to lift him. "What happened? He messaged and -- Dave, you bulge-sucking shithead, answer me!"  
  
Sollux grunted as Karkat yanked at his burden, gasping as Dave slid toward the floor. He went to one knee, and Dave rolled off his shoulder and landed in a heap on his side, his shades skittering across the metal floor.  Sollux hissed. "Shit, Karkat, fuck! Look what you did!"  
  
Karkat ignored his friend, panic flooding him. He dropped down beside them, yanking on Dave's shirt, forcing himself to ignore the heat radiating beneath Dave's clothes. "Dave! I'm talking to you!"  
  
"Don't be a fuckhole, Karkat! He can't hear you, he passed out just before we got here!"  
  
The whole world seemed to keel over, landing next to them with a soundless thud. Karkat's arms lost their strength, shaking as he tried to pull Dave upright. This was wrong. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. "Dave."  
  
"Karkat, stop." Sollux pawed at him, tone pleading. "You're going to hurt him."  
  
"I'm gonna hurt him, all right," Karkat snapped, gaze locked on Dave's pallid complexion, on his sweat-soaked hair. Dave's breath whistled in and out, a thin, high-pitched sound that was all the more terrifying for its softness. "Stop screwing around, Dave. Get up. You don't look cool at all, I hope you know that." But he didn't. Dave didn't know anything right now. He was still and burning under Karkat's fingers, and he looked like what he was: not even seven sweeps, just some skinny, stupid human kid trying to stop something that had destroyed whole sessions. He didn't look cool, he looked awful. He looked hurt and _sick_ , and -- "Dave! I get it, okay, I get that you want to lay around while the rest of us do all the work, but I'm not gonna let you! You have to get up, you have to! That's an order!"  
  
"Karkat." Rose had her hand on him now, was kneeling beside the rest of them, pushing Karkat off of Dave and laying her own palms flat on Dave's chest. Violet eyes shut for a moment, and black tendrils waved in the low light of the computer room, as if scenting the air. They pulsed once as Dave moaned wordlessly, then settled along Rose's skin.  
  
"What're you doing?" Karkat demanded. His ribs felt tight, his heart swollen, painful. Dave was hurting. Dave needed help. Dave was so hot. "Get him on his feet. Give him that shit tea you make. _Do_ something!"  
  
Rose opened her eyes and the creepy black glow increased around her. Slowly, precisely, her voice catching, she said, "You have to go without him."

He wanted to hit her, that was so stupid. They were a team! Dave would never leave him, and he would never leave Dave. She was stupid for suggesting it! "No, that's asinine, you're not even trying --"

She shook her head once, sharply, her hands clasping at Dave's shirt, wrinkling it til her knuckles were white. "Shut up! _Please_. He's unconscious, I can't... There's nothing we can do. You have to go without him!"

"Rose --"

"Just go!"


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rosemary, DaveKat, Sollux.
> 
> Warning: character death.

_EB: rose! how’s it going? are you guys almost done? you’re taking forever!_

_GG: rose, i’m sorry to bother you! i know you’re busy. i just want to make sure you put the ananchronite in after the salvalism, not before. it didn’t seem clear :(_

_EB: one more thing, i know this is super nuts, but i don’t think dave’s shades are working. could you ask him to double-check the codes we sent?_

_GG: davesprite says he’s sent it all over correctly, but he’s worried you might have trouble. i guess be as careful as you can but still hurry? that sounds so dumb. ;p maybe we can help?_

_EB: is there anything we can do from over here? probably not much, but if you think of anything that --_

Rose blocked her friends. She loved them dearly, but they had nothing useful to add. Now that they were all god tier, their nervous chatter was distracting, filling her head instead of the computer screens they’d used before.

She shut her eyes and leaned against the computer console, lank hair hanging in her face, the black flame that surrounded her fading. She needed to be strong again, but she knew that borrowing more power couldn’t be good. And the worse she felt, the harder it was to separate herself from the darkness that coiled inside of her, waiting. It clung to her like rancid molasses, cloying but wrong. Drowning her soul like the disease was drowning her body. Whispering to her to _Let Go._

“Rose?” Kanaya’s voice was as congested and broken as any of theirs, but there was a worried tone that she hadn’t let out before.

It snapped Rose out of her dark reverie, her love for Kanaya tugging her back from the edge of temptation.

“Soon, baby,” she promised, and it was hard to push conviction into her voice.

More than anything in the whole of existence, she wanted to lie down. She wanted to stop wiping at her face with her now-crusty sleeves; she wanted her chest to stop hurting, wanted the crushing weight there to disappear. She wanted to put her fevered cheek to the cold metal floor and let unconsciousness take her.

But she couldn’t. That wasn’t who she was, and people were counting on her.

She forced her eyes open and turned to watch the transportalizer, praying to whoever was the god of their session -- somehow, it didn’t seem like it was Karkat -- to speed things up. “Just hold on a little longer. We’ll fix everything, I promise.”

Kanaya sniffled wetly from where she was on the floor. Rose glanced at where she leaned against the far wall, and at Dave, unconscious with his head in her lap, his cape over him like a blanket. Slowly, Kanaya stroked Dave’s hair, spreading the perspiration through it, matting it down. Dave’s breathing was thin, like a bellows with a hole poked in it. There was a thin trickle of mucus leaking from his nose, making its way lazily down his pallid cheek toward Kanaya’s thigh.

“Soon,” Kanaya repeated to Dave, coughing as she petted him. “Rose and Karkat will make it right. Hold on..”

If Dave could answer, he didn’t. Rose looked away.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*

 

“That one’s done. The second from the left. Put that one on first.”

Sollux moved cautiously among the whirring machines, his hands outstretched in apprehensive searching. It wasn’t that he was afraid he’d die - although he would, if they didn’t finish this vaccine-cure-whatever it was - but he tended to need his fingers. They were all he had left. If he lost his hands, caught them in the punch card reader or under something being alchemized, he was doomed.

He reached what he thought was the proper alchimeter and took a breath, holding it before extending his hands toward the once-empty platform. He felt nothing but air.

“Lower,” Karkat ordered, his voice staticky and clogged..

Sollux leaned in, feeling lower down. Then lower still. “There’s nothing here. It didn’t work.”

“It’s on the platform! It’s a flask or something, just pick it up and --”

Sollux knocked against it, felt the awkward hit that meant it was going to tip. He grabbed at it wildly, and something wet sloshed over his hands, biting at the skin. His breath caught as he fought the sudden searing pain, setting the flask down again and hastily wiping his hands on his pants.

“Ow. Ow ow ow ow fuck ow --!”

“You okay?” Karkat asked nervously. “Sollux, let me see --”

“I”m okay, I’m fine.” His fingers didn’t feel fine, but they were already cooling, the pain lessening. Whatever this salvalisim shit was, it wasn’t for direct contact.

Karkat shifted, a cough rasping in his throat. “You gotta pick it up again. Sorry. Can you do it?”

“Yeah.” He didn’t have much choice. Sollux extended his hand and found the flask again. Immediately, the wet side set his fingertips burning as if they were pressed against a hot frying pan,. Quickly, he picked it up, gritting his teeth against a fresh spike of pain, and carried the thing to the alchimeter. “Okay. Send it. Fuck me, that fucking hurts!”

“Sorry,” Karkat repeated. He tapped some keys, and the weird pop of air moving told Sollux the flask was gone. “One more to go. We have to put the codes for some stupid berry in at the same time as -- what the hell is this shit? A clock? And a fish.”

“Guess it sort of makes sense, in a gaming way,” Sollux said, holding his burned hand under his arm, reluctant to touch it with his other fingers. “Plants are medicine, and maybe the clock is a timing thing.”

“Then Dave ought to be down here. Time is his bullshit rodeo.” Karkat’s fingers flew again, tick-tacking rapidly, and he slammed a button with vehemence. The machinery vibrated, hum escalating to a high pitch that was almost a whine, then stopped. “There. Should be the anachronite. Grab it, would you? It’s in a metal dish for some reason. Fish-shaped.”

Sollux shook his head and moved closer to the alchimeter again, reaching.

The keys clacked again as another coughing fit tried to drown Karkat. His friend muttered through the sludgy hacking, speaking aloud as he typed so Sollux would know what he was doing. “Dave. You’ve napped long enough, your fucking wriggler. Get your ass ready, I’m comin’ for it. Rose, make this thing.”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Her computer was awash in flashing windows. She stared dully at them, the lights making her dizzy. Without noticing, she wiped at her nose with the back of her hand.

The alchimeter revved and fell silent, and she stumbled toward it, willing her hands to steady as she retrieved the last component and carried it to the makeshift desk. Carefully, trying not to hear Kanaya’s gasping coughing, she combined all the elements in the exact quantities. Heat was next, gradually increased along the bottom of the flask, until the ingredients swirled together, turning a beautiful peacock blue. The stuff sparkled once, flashed, and settled down to imitate a darker blue, the sparkles pinwheeling through the center. A night sky full of stars.

She’d done it.

Laughing past the gluey crap in her chest, Rose wished she had the energy to shout, to thrust her fists into the air in a petty display of triumph. She’d _done_ it. She could feel as shitty as the game wanted. She could lay down on the floor and cry. It didn’t matter. They’d won. They’d all done it. _Fuck you, SBURB. Fuck you up the ass with a thorny fucking pineapple._

Victorious, she squinted past the throbbing in her head and sent the message to everyone at once.

_TT: It’s done. It’s cooling. Come back, Karkat._

Responses popped into her consciousness at once, both loud and bright at the same time.

_EB: great!! rose, you’re amazing!_

_GG: thank goodness :) hurry and get well, you guys!_

_KK: TELL DAVE TO KEEP HIS FAT FISTS OFF MY SHARE. I KNOW HE’S GUZZLING IT ALL AS WE SPEAK._

Rose snorted.

_TT: No-one is guzzling anything. It’s a boiling liquid. Just come back._

She shot a look at Dave, but he hadn’t moved. Kanaya’s hand was still in his hair, but her chin was on her chest. Rose frowned. “Kanaya?”

_EB: let us know when you’re all okay, then we can figure out how we’re getting you guys to move._

_KK: CAN WE HAVE TEN MINUTES, JOHN? I REALIZE THAT THIS IS THE FRUITION OF ALL YOUR FUCK-UPS AND THAT YOU’RE EAGER TO GET ON WITH WRECKING OTHER SHIT, BUT SOME OF US HAVE ALMOST DIED, SO WE’D APPRECIATE SOME FUCKING CONSIDERATION, IF THAT DOESN’T TAX YOUR PUNY HUMAN THINKPAN TOO MUCH._

“Kanaya, answer me.” Rose moved along counter, using the long table as support. Her headache sent spots over her vision, thrumming angrily. The black fire pulsed feebly, flickered, and went out. Weakness crept over Rose, dragging at her like a weighted cloak. “Kanaya, honey, please. Look at me.”

_EB:  i didn’t mean right this second, calm down. take whatever time you need. and tell dave he seriously needs to message me. i want to hear for myself that he’s okay. it’s in the bro code or something._

_GG: … the bromance code? ;)_

_EB: consideration, jade! now isn’t the time!_

_GG: ;p_

_KK: SEEING AS THIS WHOLE MESS IS DAVE’S FAULT, I THINK IT’S ONLY RIGHT THAT HE PUT OUT SOME SORT OF APOLOGY. MAYBE IN THE FORM OF A SHITTY RAP. HE’S HAD ENOUGH TIME TO COME UP WITH IT, LYING AROUND WHILE WE DID ALL THE WORK._

Her girlfriend’s hand twitched against Dave’s hair, but neither one of them moved. They were so quiet. Fear bubbled up, and Rose shoved off of the table, taking the last few unsteady steps so quickly that she fell to her knees in front of them.

“Kanaya!” She grabbed the girl’s face in her hands, lifting it.

Kanaya’s beautiful green eyes met Rose’s, and they were full of tears, the shimmery green-crystal fluid caught on her black lashes. Her nose was streaming, but she didn’t seem to care. “Rose.”

“Oh God, baby,” Rose laughed, almost collapsing on top of both of them as the knot in her stomach slid apart. She used the underside of her sleeve to clean her girlfriend’s face with awkward, careful strokes. “You scared me. Answer me next time, okay?”

“Rose,” Kanaya said, her voice barely a whisper. “I”m sorry.”

Oh, her poor girl, so sick, so confused. Rose petted Kanaya’s cheek, wiped away the new tears. “Sorry? For what?”

Kanaya’s head drooped.

Rose smoothed her dark hair, fingers brushing the edges of Kanaya’s horns. “No, stop. You didn’t do anything. We’ll be fine in a minute. It’s ready. I made it.”

She waited for the troll to acknowledge her win, but Kanaya didn’t move, and cold fear nudged its way back into Rose’s gut. “Kan.” She frowned and grabbed her girlfriend’s shoulders, squeezing them too tightly. “Kanaya!”

“Dave,” Kanaya whispered finally. Her hand moved over his hair. “Poor Dave.”

“...What?” Still holding onto her girlfriend, Rose looked down into Kanaya’s lap.

Dave was there, his eyes closed, his mouth half open. His face was white, his chest unmoving. He looked like an antique, yellowed doll.

Rose stared. “Dave?”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*

 

“Faster.”

Sollux grunted under Karkat’s weight. “Faster doesn’t matter. You only have to get on the transportalizer. We’re almost there.”

Karkat leaned against his best friend, summoning every ounce of strength he had left to step up onto the platform. “I’m gonna gloat so hard,” he said between coughs. “Dave’s gonna look so dumb. It’ll be great.”

He would’ve kept going, but the transportalizer caught them up, tearing them apart at the atomic level and reassembling them in the computer room. Karkat’s breath caught between greeting and breathing, and he doubled over, coughing until something thick and wet splattered on the platform.

“Jegus, KK,” Sollux muttered. He pulled at Karkat, tugging him toward the floor. “C’mon, let’s just finish this already. I am so done cleaning up your sick.”

Wheezing, Karkat muttered something about Sollux’s sexual hobbies and his bees, but he wasn’t going to crawl to Rose. He was a troll, the leader! He was walking, and screw anyone who tried to stop him.

He pushed away from Sollux, forcing himself upright. The room smelled like steam and fruit, and an odd metallic element he couldn’t place. “Rose. Where’s the thing? The cure?”

The blonde girl looked up at him from where she knelt next to Kanaya. Both of them had tears running down their faces, mingling with other fluids. Rose’s tears were clear, like water, and Karkat had a moment to wonder if her blood was clear, too. He knew it wasn’t, but the idea and the evidence were so strong that he couldn’t help picture her veins as glass.

He shook his head once, their naked emotion making him uncomfortable. “All right, enough wiggler time. Let’s get this shitshow over with. Sollux, go help Dave. He’s being dramatic.”

It took enough effort to push his own emotions aside, to keep from going to Dave as if he was the only thing in the room that mattered. He couldn’t show favoritism, not when he was supposed to be in charge. Dave was strong, brave, and smart. He would be fine.

Sollux shot Karkat a look, but stepped off the transportalizer and crossed the room cautiously. Rose stood before Sollux could reach them, smearing the tears on her cheeks with her fingers. Karkat began the slow walk toward her as she went to the computer desk, now covered with alchemical paraphernalia. She picked up a flask, the contents of which glittered like diamonds on blue velvet.

“Here. Take one swallow. There’s enough for everyone, don’t worry.” She raised the flask, tilted the liquid into her mouth, and faced him, thrusting the container out. Something in her eyes flashed, sparks leaping upward. “Your turn.”

He blinked at her abruptness. “Uh -- but Kanaya and Dave. They need it first. We should --”

“You’re the leader,” she said, hand trembling despite her clenched jaw and obvious determination to appear unmoved. “You first. Then them. Hurry.”

Now he was really confused. She cared just as much about Dave as he did, maybe more, and certainly just as much for Kanaya. She should be helping them before herself. But maybe she knew something he didn’t. Maybe she was right.

Taking the flask, he accepted his dose of the cure.

The liquid poured like fire over his tongue, then sealed it in ice. As hot as a real star, as cold as a fictional one, it raced down his throat and shot through his blood, boiling it free of impurities, stripping it of anything that didn’t belong with the delicacy of Equius drawing a bow. He gasped, started to cough reflexively, but couldn’t.

There was nothing to cough up.

He sucked a full breath into his lungs, staggering one step to the side as Rose snatched the flask from him and went to Kanaya. Lights raced along her fingers, glowing, ruddy streaks heading toward her heart, and Karkat turned his shocked gaze to his own hands, eyes huge.

Red constellations.

Comets.

Running backward.

Kanaya made a surprised noise, and Karkat’s gaze snapped to her. Sollux was kneeling beside her, Rose on the other side, pulling the flask from Kanaya’s dark lips. Kanaya’s skin flickered with emeralds, her veins glowing within, her arms and face bright as the full moon. Karkat watched, shocked, as her body was rewound, the illness banished, its ravages undone. She and Rose were beautiful again -- he was surprised to find he thought that word, ‘beautiful’, but it was perfect, they were perfect -- and when they touched, it was like a scene from one of his sensitive, romantic movies. He found himself wanting them to kiss, to see if a new star would be born from their love.

Eager to see more, to participate, he darted to Dave -- it was so easy to move now that even walking felt like flying -- and grabbed his arm, pushing the sleeve up to witness the miracle again.

Dave’s arm was cold and lightless.

“Rose, gimme that shit. You forgot Dave, Jegus.” He snatched the flask from her, the thin neck of the bottle keeping him from spilling it. “Dave. Open up. We got places to be.”

“Don’t,” Rose said dully, wearing her new health like a mask, face frozen.

He ignored her, of course. He patted Dave, squeezed his arm, jostled him. “Dave. Hey. Talking to you here, Strider. I know you’re busy in dreamland, but the rest of us need to get back to work, so maybe you could stop collecting dust and consider rejoining the world of the living.”

Kanaya closed her glowing fingers over Karkat’s arm, and they were full of new strength. “Karkat. Stop. You don’t understand. You’re hurting Rose.”

“I’m hurting her? She’s hurting Dave --”

Rose stiffened, and Kanaya squeezed his arm again. “ _Karkat_.” It was sharp and sad at the same time. “I’m sorry. But Dave --”

He looked away from Dave’s unconscious face, up into the brightness of Kanaya’s. The second their eyes met, understanding closed like a steel trap around his heart. He didn’t know how he knew, except that they’d had to tell each other similar news too many times already. But he didn’t want to hear it said. Not aloud. Not Dave. “Shut up.”

Sollux tried anyway, quieter. “I’m sorry, KK --”

“Shut UP.”

It was hard to breathe. As hard as it had been ten minutes ago, when they’d all been dy -- no, not that word, he couldn’t think that word or he’d lose it. He couldn’t think about how still Dave was, or how he’d felt when they’d cuddled in Dave’s bed, or that little smile that Dave let out sometimes, gone forever. Karkat would never see it again. He couldn’t let the hurt reach his brain. He couldn’t. There were too many people waiting, too many thing they had to do.

Black water seemed to well up and swallow him, chilling blood, muting sound.

“I…”

He stood suddenly, shoving the screaming part of himself down, so far down that he could barely hear the wailing. He held the flask tight, keeping his eyes unfocused so he wouldn’t see his new love in Kanaya’s lap, taking what should have been the Signless’ place. Karkat’s place. If anyone had to die, it shouldn’t have been the one player necessary to the game. The one person who --

“I’m gonna go find Terezi and that moron clown. They need this, too.”

“Karkat --” Sollux said, but Karkat ignored him and walked toward the door.


	11. Chapter 11

Karkat’s steps echoed through the room. The three of them sat silently, Rose’s breathing fast and tight, Kanaya’s soft. His friend’s warmth was a stark contrast to the cool, almost rubbery feel of Dave’s thigh against Sollux’s leg. Sollux was half dead already, he knew this, but even so, the touch of Dave’s all-dead body was somehow creepy. He wondered if Rose would be offended if he scooted back just a little. 

Suddenly, Dave’s leg tingled against Sollux’s knee, then buzzed with violent, soundless electricity. Sollux jerked back, but not quickly enough, and both he and Kanaya yelped as the vibrations that weren’t vibrations shot up his arm. 

“Karkat! Come back! Something’s --”

“Rose! Look! His color!”

Rose gasped, and the vibrations knocked the feeling out of Sollux’s knee. His leg went numb as if it had fallen asleep in a mere heartbeat. He grabbed Kanaya’s arm, holding it tight. “What’s going on?! Is he --”

He didn’t know what he meant to say, whether he wanted to ask if they should run, or move away, or pick Dave up and help. He couldn’t organize his thoughts fast enough, but it didn’t matter. Something popped, and the room smelt of burnt ozone. The tingling was gone.

“Kanaya,” Sollux hissed into the breathless void. “What happened?”

“Knock knock, motherfuckers,” Dave said.

*~*~*~*~*~*

The light was blinding, not the beautiful swirl of star-dancing, but the explosion of a supernova. It was brief, heatless, and suddenly where Dave had been there was Dave again. But not Dave as he’d been a moment ago: a healthy Dave, a smirking one, even his sunglasses spotless and shiny. He sat up just as Rose flung herself at him, squeezing him as hard as she could, vowing to break his ribs if she had to.

“Idiot!” she hissed, tears welling up. She hugged him tighter, pushing him back against Kanaya, bumping him into Sollux. “Don’t ever do that again! Ever!”

He returned the embrace, and it was only the strength of the gesture that told her he was scared.“Can’t promise anything,” he murmured, his voice barely steady. “But don’t worry too much. This is my thing. I got these non-heroic deaths down pat. Like I said --”

“-- you’re no hero,” she finished for him. She pulled back, examining his face, his hair, his very eyebrows for the slightest inconsistency, but there was none. It was him, down to the last atom. 

Wiping the few escaped tears from her cheek, she tossed her head in approval and dismissal, her hair bouncing around her face. “Bullshit.” She sniffed, and it was only emotion that threatened to make a mess. “That’s what I call on this, Dave Strider. Absolute bullshit.”

*~*~*~*~*~*

“Bullshit is RIGHT,” Karkat proclaimed loudly.

Dave looked up from where he and Rose and Kanaya and Sollux knelt on the floor, his new lungs stumbling on a breath. “Karkat. Holy shit. You’re okay.”

The troll was farther away than Rose and the others, outside their circle of hug. His hands were at his sides, clutching a flask so tightly Dave thought it might crack. “Just what the hell was that, huh, Strider? What even WAS that?!”

And in an instant, things were both the same as before and not. The dark metal computer room, the scent of recycled, library-like air, Rose’s knowing smile -- and then there was Karkat. His hair was still an unruly black, his eyes bright and glaring. He was scowling so hard he looked like he might break an eyebrow. He was still way too damn handsome.

He was also quite abruptly the most rare and valuable thing Dave had ever wanted.

“Do you know that we almost gave you some of this shit?” Karkat raised the flask, which was filled with a dark, shimmery liquid, and shook it, probably to cover the angry trembling of his hand. “We almost WASTED this on you! There’s a finite amount, in case you didn’t notice, not like all those fucking useless boonbucks you picked up! You had the easy way out all along, and you didn’t tell anyone, and we were all fucking WORRIED for NOTHING! If that’s not the ancestor of inconsiderate thinking, I have no fucking clue what is!”

Dave’s chest tightened painfully even as his stomach fluttered. He released Rose and tilted his head back, offering up his best smile, not sure how to apologize. With Rose, the regret at what had happened t at was implicit, but with Karkat, if something went unsaid, it didn’t exist. “I’m sorry, KK. Tell you what: next time I plan on dying for a little while, I’ll let you know.”

“OH,” Karkat repeated scathingly, his cheeks flushing, the glass flask flashing dangerously as he whipped it around, both hands going now.  “You’ll let me KNOW. Well thanks so much for that, that’s just great. I’ll make a fucking note in my calendar. I’ll wait for that one to come around once a year, and we can put up a fucking Kringlefucker-whatever-the-fuck and dance around it like nakodiles at a fucking cannibalistic picnic! We’ll make it an official holiday in the new world we’re creating, Happy “Dave Strider Lets Us Know What’s On His Fucking Mind” Day, let’s all go out and get totally shit-faced on sopor pies and other shit you’re not supposed to -- That’s just GREAT, Strider, really, really just --” His breath hitched, his voice breaking. “-- amazingly, terrifically -- you fucking stupid piece of shit --”

As one, Sollux, Rose and Kanaya stood, bearing Dave upward like he was floating. Their grip was stronger than he would’ve thought, but after everything they’d been through, he should’ve known that he wasn’t too heavy for them. He was set on his feet and pushed toward Karkat with small giggles, everyone’s hands pressing against his back.

“Go with him to find the others,” Kanaya said calmly. “Just in case. He might get lost.”

Karkat bristled. “I don’t need any help from HIM. I’m not someone who bails just ‘cause things get difficult. I can do this by myself. What if he decides to disappear during the middle of it? What if he drops dead again? What if --”

Dave would’ve protested the assist, but it had worked. He wasn’t gonna complain about anyone helping him ever again. Quickly he reached out, close enough now to catch one of Karkat’s flapping hands. It was warm against Dave’s palm, but normal warm. Nice warm. “Dude. Chill.” He threaded his fingers with Karkat’s. “Got a good hold. Promise I won’t let go.”

“You - you’re -- maybe you’re lying. Because you’re stupid. You’ll get lost,” Karkat stammered, and his whole face was an adorable beet red. God, he was so cute.

“Not if you show me where we’re going.” Dave squeezed their laced hands lightly, before he could be embarrassed at how forward he was. “Sorry about that early check-out thing. Think you can find it in your knightly heart to help a poor n00b like me learn his way around your massive meteor palace?”

Rose coughed, and even Kanaya made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a laugh.

Karkat frowned harder, even redder. “What the hell is a check-out?  -- no forget it, whatever. Let’s just go before Terezi runs out of time.” He clamped his own fingers down on Dave’s hand and spun on one heel, marching toward the door. “You have a lot to make up, I hope you know that.”

“I’ll do my best, bro.” Dave spared one last glance at Rose before Karkat pulled him into the hallway. She was already beaming at Kanaya, walking with her out the opposite door. Smirking, he looked back at Karkat’s head, then dropped his eyes lower. Huh. The troll actually had a pretty nice butt. If Dave got his courage going, maybe this could actually become something. “I’ll do my best. And hey, how about after this we have another one of those feelings jams, the ones where we get all personal-like, except it’ll be better because I don’t feel like I’m about to lose a lung --”

_EB: DAVE?? dave, rose said you’re back! are you okay? i was really worried when you wouldn’t answer me. you have to tell me what happened before we take off! everything, we won’t get to speak again for a long long long time!_

_TG: john. not right now. Later._

_EB: there won’t be a later, i told you! how about i’ll start, and you fill in. rose says you went on a trip? i wasn’t sure. did you go somewhere?_

_TG: egbert you have worse timing than pompeii._

_EB: yep, you’re your old self again. :) so was it time shenanigans?_

*~*~*~*~*~*

And before Sollux could do much more than blink, the computer lad -- now alchemy station -- was empty. He stood there for a second, incredulous at how quickly he was forgotten, but even that faded fast.

Whatever. It wasn’t like it mattered. He wasn’t really hurt. He’d had his chance with Aradia, and he was glad he’d taken it. As for his friends, everyone was okay now, and that was the important thing. They could continue on their journey, defeat Lord English, get back at Bec Noir. They could finally build a new home.

He made his way to his computer station, glad to see it hadn’t been taken over by Rose. His husktop was where he’d left it, as was his chair.

“Well,” he said aloud, taking a seat and reaching for his headphones, “at least I won’t be interrupted for a while. I can finally finish the program I’ve been working on.”

He wiggled the mouse to wake the computer up, shivered suddenly, and sneezed.

**THE END**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!! It was fun sharing this with you all. I hope you liked how it all turned out! C:


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